City, Los Angeles County
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Codes: 90239, 90240, 90241, 90242
Middle to middle-plus city located on flat land between two rivers. Population 113,379. Used to be aerospace center; it built the space shuttles. The giant plant, which at one time employed 30,000, was closed in late 1990s. www.mccormacks.com
School rankings bounce all over but many above 50th percentile. Median age of residents is 32. Under 18 years, 29 percent. Over 55 years, 18 percent. Family town, high number of kids.
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Named after a pioneer landowner, Downey was a farm hamlet until it was transformed by the boom after World War II. In the 1950s alone, the city built about 40 percent of its current housing. When you add the housing built over the two following decades, you have about 75 percent of all of Downey’s housing.
The two- and three-bedroom home was the favorite of this era. This conjures up a picture of a typical suburb with tract homes laid down one after the other. In reality, Downey comes across as prettier and more substantial.
The aerospace era attracted high-tech professionals who were well paid. Many of Downey's ranch homes have been teased upscale with brick facing, imaginative landscaping and custom touches. The styles include colonials, Tudors and some homes that in size and appointments rise into mini-mansions with half-circle driveways. Many of the smaller homes have added rooms.
Downey also has its plain housing but the level of care throughout the city appears high. The state in 2008 counted 35,071 housing units: 20,493 single homes, 1,696 single attached, 12,689 multiples, 193 mobiles. www.mccormacks.com
In the 1980s Downey built about 2,400 units and the last decade, 1,450. Fair choice of old and new suburbia.
Educated by Downey Unified School District. Many schools are scoring from the 40th to 70th percentile. In 2002, voters approved $65 million bond to renovate schools. See Schools.
Seven homicides in 2005, zero in 2004. Counts for previous years are 7, 1, 5, 4, 9, 6, 7, 9, 3, 5, 8, 1. Downey has own police department. See Crime.
Movies, roller-skating rink, two golf courses, 11 parks, 10 playgrounds, civic theater-playhouse, library, art museum, senior center, bowling alley, community gym. Brick crosswalks in downtown. Many recreational offerings. Several churches, including striking Greek edifice. Swim and tennis centers. Hiking trails. Two medical centers and a third under construction.
In the space age, the feds showered money on the aerospace center and the prosperity encouraged Downey to spend a lot on parks and public buildings and its downtown. The fed dollars are gone and Downey is making a tough transition to the private sector but the downtown and indeed the city itself retain the heft of heavy and steady investment that went on for decades. www.mccormacks.com
The space plant was taken over by the city, which is marketing the site. The new comers include a shopping center, a Kaiser medical center (350 beds) that will eventually employ about 3,000, office buildings and film production facilities. Soon to be built, a space-science learning center.
Interstates 105 and 5 to downtown L.A., 11 miles to northwest. Downey, located toward the east side of L.A. County, is fairly close to the job centers of Central Orange County. Metrolink (commuter rail) in nearby towns.
For orientation on cities, towns and neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, see County Overview.
Chamber of commerce: (562) 923-2191.
City web site: www.downeyca.org
