City, Los Angeles County
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Codes: 90250, 90251
Bedroom-apartment community located about two miles southeast of L.A. International Airport and about four miles in from the Pacific. Population 90,014. www.mccormacks.com
Median age of residents is 29. Under 18 years, 32 percent. Over 55 years, 12 percent. Many young families.
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Blue-collar, middle-class town. School rankings low to middling to high. Named after Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of “The Scarlet Letter.”
Lower-income housing on the north. As you move south, the housing shows itself better in quality and appearance. Many streets well-cared-for. Hawthorne offers a variety of housing.
Between 1950 and 1990, it built 4,000-6,000 residential units every decade. It is primarily a renter’s town, apartments outnumbering single homes by about two to one.
The state in 2008 counted 30,268 housing units: 8,362 single homes, 2,471 single attached, 19,262 multiples, 173 mobiles. In the 1990s, Hawthorne added 2,000 units. www.mccormacks.com
Served by three school districts. Scores in Hawthorne Elementary District, which passed renovation-construction bonds in 1997 and 2004, land in the 20th to 30th percentile. Hawthorne also has a charter math and science high school, with a small enrollment, about 250, and scores in the 90th percentile.
Scores at Hawthorne High, part of Centinela Valley District, fall into the 40th percentile. This district in 2000 approved a $50 million bond to renovate schools.
Highest scores, 50th to 70th percentile, are to be found in Wiseburn Elementary District, on the west side of town. Wiseburn voters in 2000 approved a $35 million renovation bond. Wiseburn students move up to Hawthorne High in the Centinela district. See Schools.
Southwest community college just outside city limits, a nice plus for the town.
Because of the proximity to the airport and local industries, many residents have a commute of only a few miles. Downtown L.A. is 25 miles to the east. Highway 105 recently opened. Down its middle travels a light rail that runs trolleys west to a spot near the airport and east to Norwalk, with connections to downtown L.A. and Long Beach. www.mccormacks.com
Ten homicides in 2005, nine in 2004. Counts for prior years are 12, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16, 21, 12, 18, 6, 10. Hawthorne has its own police department. See Crime.
Incorporated as a city in 1929, Hawthorne has been building its parks and recreation facilities for decades. Two libraries. About 10 parks. Sports center with gym. Golf course. Aquatics center. Skate park. The city owns land in the Los Angeles National Forest; uses it as summer camp for kids.
Penney’s. Two medical centers. Park and ride lots. Municipal airport on north side. Check out the noise. Chamber of commerce: (310) 676-1163.
• Famous residents: The Beach Boys, graduates of Hawthorne High.
• Aviation museum at the airport. Hawthorne was the first home of the Northrup Corporation, now Northrup Grumman, the aviation-space company. The firm still has facilities in nearby towns. www.mccormacks.com
For orientation on cities, towns and neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, see County Overview.
City web site: www.cityofhawthorne.com
