About Cerritos

CERRITOS TODAY

Cerritos is located in the heart of the Los Angeles/Orange County metrocenter, midway between Downtown Los Angeles and the business centers of Irvine, Santa Ana and Anaheim. Because Cerritos is virtually the geographic center of the Los Angeles Basin, it has become one of Southern California’s premier commercial crossroads. Cerritos is served directly by three major freeways and is close to two others.

Cerritos on Wheels (COW) buses, Long Beach Transit, Norwalk Transit, the Orange County Transit Authority and the Metro offer frequent service throughout the community. Air transportation is available at Long Beach Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.

While Cerritos’ central location has spurred its growth, innovation and leadership have sustained it. The City has pioneered in many areas, including building America’s first solar heated city hall, undergrounding all utility lines and constructing a recycled water system to irrigate parks and street medians, which saves approximately 815 million gallons of potable water per year. The Cerritos General Plan, which provides the framework for the long-term physical development of the City of Cerritos, was most recently updated on January 6, 2004.

Families are attracted to Cerritos by the outstanding ABC Unified School District and Cerritos College.

The Cerritos Library is open seven days a week and has enough room to house 300,000 books, plus museum quality exhibits and a conference center.

A total of 28 parks and recreation facilities in Cerritos provide residents with playing courts, athletic fields, picnic shelters and meeting rooms. Also, residents can swim laps or take courses at the Cerritos Olympic Swim and Fitness Center. The City’s Iron-Wood Nine Golf Course is a popular course with the City’s golfers. The Community Gymnasiums at Cerritos and Whitney High Schools provide youth activities and indoor sports for residents of all ages.

The Cerritos Senior Center at Pat Nixon Park offers a variety of special events, recreation, special interest classes and human services to seniors, age 50 and older.

The Cerritos Sheriff’s Station/Community Safety Center offers a full range of public safety services to residents 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Premier music, dance and Broadway performances are featured in the world-class Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art facility that features an innovative flexible auditorium that houses six different seating configurations.

Beautifully maintained neighborhoods, carefully planned retail areas, abundant recreational facilities and a world-class performing arts center make Cerritos an exciting, attractive place to live and work. HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES: In 2005-2009 there were 15,000 households in Cerritos city. The average household size was 3.3 people.

STATISTICS

Families made up 86 percent of the households in Cerritos city. This figure includes both married-couple families (71 percent) and other families (16 percent). Nonfamily households made up 14 percent of all households in Cerritos city. Most of the nonfamily households were people living alone, but some were composed of people living in households in which no one was related to the householder.

The Types of Households in Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent of households

Source: American Community Survey, 2005-2009

NATIVITY AND LANGUAGE: Forty-five percent of the people living in Cerritos city in 2005-2009 were foreign born. Fifty-five percent was native, including 43 percent who were born in California.

Among people at least five years old living in Cerritos city in 2005-2009, 59 percent spoke a language other than English at home. Of those speaking a language other than English at home, 14 percent spoke Spanish and 86 percent spoke some other language; 44 percent reported that they did not speak English "very well."

GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY: In 2005-2009, 91 percent of the people at least one year old living in Cerritos city were living in the same residence one year earlier; 6 percent had moved during the past year from another residence in the same county, 2 percent from another county in the same state, less than 0.5 percent from another state, and 1 percent from abroad.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent of people age 1 year and over

Source: American Community Survey, 2005-2009

EDUCATION: In 2005-2009, 93 percent of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 50 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. Seven percent were dropouts; they were not enrolled in school and had not graduated from high school.

The total school enrollment in Cerritos city was 15,000 in 2005-2009. Nursery school and kindergarten enrollment was 1,000 and elementary or high school enrollment was 9,200 children. College or graduate school enrollment was 5,000.

The Educational Attainment of People in Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent of people 25 years and over

Source: American Community Survey, 2005-2009

DISABILITY: In Cerritos city, among people at least five years old in 2005-2009, percent reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from percent of people 5 to 15 years old, to percent of people 16 to 64 years old, and to percent of those 65 and older.

INDUSTRIES: In 2005-2009, for the employed population 16 years and older, the leading industries in Cerritos city were Educational services, and health care, and social assistance, 27 percent, and Manufacturing, 12 percent.

Employment by Industry in Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent of employed people 16 years and over

Source: American Community Survey, 2005-2009

OCCUPATIONS AND TYPE OF EMPLOYER: Among the most common occupations were: Management, professional, and related occupations, 51 percent; Sales and office occupations, 30 percent; Service occupations, 10 percent; Production, transportation, and material moving occupations, 6 percent; and Construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair occupations, 3 percent. Seventy-five percent of the people employed were Private wage and salary workers; 18 percent was Federal, state, or local government workers; and 7 percent was Self-employed in own not incorporated business workers.

TRAVEL TO WORK: Eighty-two percent of Cerritos city workers drove to work alone in 2005-2009, 11 percent carpooled, 3 percent took public transportation, and 1 percent used other means. The remaining 3 percent worked at home. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 30.1 minutes to get to work.

INCOME: The median income of households in Cerritos city was $86,497. Eighty-four percent of the households received earnings and 18 percent received retirement income other than Social Security. Twenty-eight percent of the households received Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $15,899. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

POVERTY AND PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS: In 2005-2009, 6 percent of people were in poverty. Seven percent of related children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 6 percent of people 65 years old and over. Five percent of all families and 16 percent of families with a female householder and no husband present had incomes below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent below poverty level

Source: American Community Survey, 2005-2009

POPULATION OF Cerritos city: In 2005-2009, Cerritos city had a total population of 51,000 - 27,000 (52 percent) females and 24,000 (48 percent) males. The median age was 41.7 years. Twenty-four percent of the population was under 18 years and 15 percent was 65 years and older.

The Age Distribution of People in Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent of population

Source: American Community Survey, 2005-2009

For people reporting one race alone, 23 percent was White; 8 percent was Black or African American; 1 percent was American Indian and Alaska Native; 60 percent was Asian; less than 0.5 percent was Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 5 percent was Some other race. Four percent reported Two or more races. Eleven percent of the people in Cerritos city was Hispanic. Seventeen percent of the people in Cerritos city was White non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS: In 2005-2009, Cerritos city had a total of 16,000 housing units, 1 percent of which were vacant. Of the total housing units, 94 percent was in single-unit structures, 6 percent was in multi-unit structures, and less than 0.5 percent was mobile homes. Four percent of the housing units were built since 1990.

The Types of Housing Units in Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent of housing units

Source: American Community Survey, 2005-2009

OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT CHARACTERISTICS: In 2005-2009, Cerritos city had 15,000 occupied housing units - 13,000 (82 percent) owner occupied and 2,700 (18 percent) renter occupied. One percent of the households did not have telephone service and 2 percent of the households did not have access to a car, truck, or van for private use. Multi Vehicle households were not rare. Forty-one percent had two vehicles and another 39 percent had three or more.

HOUSING COSTS: The median monthly housing costs for mortgaged owners was $2,417, nonmortgaged owners $381, and renters $1,852. Forty-six percent of owners with mortgages, 10 percent of owners without mortgages, and 61 percent of renters in Cerritos city spent 30 percent or more of household income on housing.

Occupants with a Housing Cost Burden in Cerritos city, California in 2005-2009

Percent paying 30 percent or more of income for housing

**** Source: American Community Survey, 2005-200