Paramount, California
Paramount is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 53,733, down from 54,098 at the 2010 census. Part of the Greater Los Angeles area, Paramount is bordered by Compton and Lynwood to the west, South Gate and Downey to the north, Bellflower to the east and south, and Long Beach to the south.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Paramount has a total area of, of which is land and is water.History
The city today known as Paramount was originally identified in 1781 by Mexican settlers of New Spain. It was organized under two old Spanish Ranchos; on the west, Rancho San Pedro, and on the east, Rancho Los Nietos. These ranchos were established under the Spanish Empire and granted by King Carlos III in 1784.After the Mexican–American War, California was ceded to the United States. The then-unincorporated community of Paramount was created in 1948 when the United States Postmaster General ordered the merger of the post offices of Hynes and Clearwater. The name was taken from Paramount Boulevard, the main north-to-south surface street extending through the city. The city officially incorporated January 30, 1957 following a successful "Save Paramount for Paramount" campaign to fight annexation by Long Beach, Bellflower, and South Gate.
While the Paramount economy was based largely on the hay and dairy industries, the high cost of land led to their local demise. The last Paramount dairy closed in 1977.
2025 ICE protests
On June 7, 2025, the city was the site of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whereupon President Donald Trump federalized the U.S. National Guard under Title 10. He praised them for a "job well done" before their deployment, while Gov. Gavin Newsom called the move "purposefully inflammatory".Demographics
Paramount was first listed in the 1960 U.S. census as part of the Downey-Norwalk census community division.| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | % 2000 | % 2010 | ||
| White alone | 4,982 | 3,015 | 2,273 | 9.01% | 5.57% | 4.23% |
| Black or African American alone | 7,184 | 5,980 | 4,970 | 13.00% | 11.05% | 9.25% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 148 | 86 | 94 | 0.27% | 0.16% | 0.17% |
| Asian alone | 1,789 | 1,531 | 1,703 | 3.24% | 2.83% | 3.17% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone | 432 | 396 | 225 | 0.78% | 0.73% | 0.42% |
| Other race alone | 83 | 61 | 208 | 0.15% | 0.11% | 0.39% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial | 703 | 482 | 640 | 1.27% | 0.89% | 1.19% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39,945 | 42,547 | 43,620 | 72.28% | 78.65% | 81.18% |
| Total | 55,266 | 54,098 | 53,733 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Paramount had a population of 53,733. The population density was. The racial makeup of Paramount was 14.8% White, 9.6% African American, 2.6% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 48.5% from other races, and 20.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 81.2% of the population.The census reported that 98.9% of the population lived in households, 0.5% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.
There were 14,508 households, out of which 48.3% included children under the age of 18, 45.7% were married-couple households, 8.7% were cohabiting couple households, 29.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.8% had a male householder with no partner present. 13.7% of households were one person, and 4.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.66. There were 11,706 families.
The age distribution was 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.5% aged 18 to 24, 29.3% aged 25 to 44, 23.6% aged 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 32.7years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males.
There were 14,861 housing units at an average density of, of which 14,508 were occupied. Of these, 42.9% were owner-occupied, and 57.1% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $70,912, and the per capita income was $24,808. About 11.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
At the 2010 census Paramount had a population of 54,098. The population density was. The racial makeup of Paramount was 22,988 White, 6,334 African American, 440 Native American, 1,629 Asian, 419 Pacific Islander, 20,023 from other races, and 2,265 from two or more races. There were 42,547 residents of Hispanic or Latino ancestry, of any race.The census reported that 53,788 people lived in households, 27 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 283 were institutionalized.
There were 13,881 households, 7,999 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,919 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,104 had a female householder with no husband present, 1,328 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,153 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 105 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,904 households were one person and 558 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.87. There were 11,351 families ; the average family size was 4.22.
The age distribution was 17,630 people under the age of 18, 6,360 people aged 18 to 24, 16,271 people aged 25 to 44, 10,421 people aged 45 to 64, and 3,416 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 28.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
There were 14,571 housing units at an average density of 3,010.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 6,024 were owner-occupied and 7,857 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 23,759 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 30,029 people lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Paramount had a median household income of $44,934, with 22.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
2000
According to the 2000 census, Mexican and Filipino were the most common ancestries in the city. Mexico and Guatemala were the most common foreign places of birth.Government and infrastructure
Public services
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department operates the Lakewood Station in Lakewood, serving Paramount. The department operates the Paramount Substation within Paramount.The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the South Health Center in Watts, Los Angeles, serving Paramount.
The United States Postal Service Paramount Beach Post Office is located at 7200 Somerset Boulevard.
State and federal representation
In the California State Legislature, Paramount is in, and in.In the United States House of Representatives, Paramount is in.
Culture
Paramount has a large community of Mexicans originally from the state of Sinaloa reflected in the many restaurants selling Mexican food "estilo sinaloense" meaning "Sinaloan style." The city has been described as a "second Sinaloa."Transportation
The Century Freeway passes east–west through the northern portion of Paramount, the Long Beach Freeway follows north–south along the city's western border, and the Artesia Freeway runs east–west less than a one-half-mile from the southern Paramount city limits.Paramount is served by bus service from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Beach Transit. The city also operates Easy Rider Shuttle , a fixed-route local bus.
Education
The Paramount Unified School District includes schools in Paramount, as well as a few in surrounding cities.The schools located within Paramount are Paramount High School-senior and west campus, Alondra, Lincoln, Wirtz, Jefferson, Mokler, Zamboni, Los Cerritos, Gaines, Jackson, Hollydale, Tanner, Roosevelt, and Paramount Park. Schools that are run by the Paramount Unified School District, but are located in Lakewood include Buena Vista Continuation High School, Odyssey STEM Academy, and Lakewood School. Collins school is also run by PUSD but is located in Long Beach.
Our Lady of the Rosary Private Catholic School is one of several private schools located in Paramount.
Renovations to the high school started at the end of 2007-08 school year. It was a four-phased endeavor that would improve the athletics field, development of a field house, expansion of the gymnasium and finally improvement to the west campus.
Libraries
The County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Paramount Library.Sites and attractions
The Paramount Hay Tree is a California State Historical Landmark. It is a still standing mature camphor tree remembered for its importance to the hay trading marketplace of the towns of Hynes and Clearwater, which later incorporated as Paramount. The hay traders met under the tree each working day to discuss the price of hay. Their numbers were quoted by the New York mercantile markets as the global hay standard.Paramount is also home of the Zamboni Company. Frank Joseph Zamboni Jr. is the inventor of the ice resurfacing machine. Zamboni & Co. began and is still headquartered in Paramount. Zamboni manufactures and sells the machines worldwide. Since 1939 the Zamboni family has also operated Iceland, an ice skating rink with improvements patented by Frank Zamboni.
The city also gives its name to a packaging firm called Paramount Global, which was founded here in 1976.