Cudahy, California

Cudahy ( ) is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. Cudahy has one of the highest population densities of any incorporated city in the United States. It is part of the Gateway Cities region and had a population of 22,811 as of the 2020 U.S. census.

History

thumb|left|[[Michael Cudahy (industrialist)|Michael Cudahy, the city's namesake]]

Cudahy is named for its founder, meat-packing baron Michael Cudahy, who purchased the original of Rancho San Antonio in 1908 to resell as lots. These "Cudahy lots" were notable for their size—in most cases, in width and in depth, at least equivalent to a city block in most American towns. Such parcels, often referred to as "railroad lots", were intended to allow the new town's residents to keep a large vegetable garden, a grove of fruit trees (usually citrus), and a chicken coop or horse stable. This arrangement, popular in the towns along the lower Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers, proved particularly attractive to the Southerners and Midwesterners who were leaving their struggling farms in droves in the 1910s and 1920s to start new lives in Southern California.

The city was subjected to a major political corruption incident when the former mayor and the one-time city manager were indicted on bribery and extortion charges for supporting the opening of a medical marijuana dispensary. As a result of these charges, on July 12, 2012, ex-mayor David Silva, councilman Osvaldo Conde, and former City Manager Angel Perales, 43, each pleaded guilty to one count of bribery and extortion; according to plea agreements they each face up to 30 years in prison.

On January 14, 2020, Delta Air Lines Flight 89 dumped jet fuel onto Cudahy, while making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport. Park Avenue Elementary School suffered the brunt of this dumping. This incident sparked outrage because of the city's previous history of environmental damage, including the construction of the same school on top of an old dump site that contained contaminated soil with toxic sludge, and pollution from the Exide battery plant. The mayor, Elizabeth Alcantar, pushed for better compensation from Delta for the impact on residents and the city.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , over 95% of it land.

Cudahy is bordered by Bell on the north, Bell Gardens on the east, South Gate on the south and southwest, and Huntington Park on the west.

In 2007, of the 5,800 housing units, 5,000 were rentals. 1860–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990

2000 2010 2020

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|4,504

|1,790

|872

|505

|style='background: #ffffe6; |401

|25/04%

|7.85%

|3.60%

|2.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.76%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|145

|195

|184

|193

|style='background: #ffffe6; |167

|0.81%

|0.85%

|0.76%

|0.81%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.73%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|372

|146

|65

|46

|style='background: #ffffe6; |37

|2.07%

|0.64%

|0.27%

|0.19%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.16%

|Asian alone (NH)

| rowspan="2" |422

| rowspan="2" |319

|166

|110

|style='background: #ffffe6; |157

| rowspan="2" |2.35%

| rowspan="2" |1.40%

|0.69%

|0.46%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.69%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|24

|style='background: #ffffe6; |26

|0.10%

|0.03%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.11%

|Other race alone (NH)

|66

|79

|20

|41

|style='background: #ffffe6; |64

|0.37%

|0.35%

|0.08%

|0.17%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.28%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|87

|52

|style='background: #ffffe6; |87

|0.36%

|0.22%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.38%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|12,475

|20,288

|22,790

|22,850

|style='background: #ffffe6; |21,872

|69.37%

|88.92%

|94.14%

|95.99%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |95.88%

|Total

|17,984

|22,817

|24,208

|23,805

|style='background: #ffffe6; |22,811

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Cudahy had a population of 22,811 and a population density of . The age distribution was 28.2% under the age of 18, 12.3% aged 18 to 24, 29.2% aged 25 to 44, 22.4% aged 45 to 64, and 7.9% aged 65 or older. The median age was 30.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males age 18 and over.

The census reported that 99.9% of the population lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. Cudahy was 100.0% urban and 0.0% rural.

There were 5,745 households, of which 56.3% had children under the age of 18. Of all households, 46.7% were married-couple households, 10.7% were cohabiting couple households, 28.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 14.4% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. About 8.8% of households were one-person households, and 3.7% were one-person households with a resident aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.97, and there were 4,953 families (86.2% of all households).

There were 5,854 housing units at an average density of . Of these, 5,745 (98.1%) were occupied and 1.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.0%, and the rental vacancy rate was 1.6%. Of occupied units, 17.7% were owner-occupied and 82.3% were renter-occupied.

2010 census

At the 2010 census Cudahy had a population of 23,805. The population density was . The racial makeup of Cudahy was 11,708 (49.2%) White (2.1% Non-Hispanic White), 333 (1.4%) African American, 246 (1.0%) Native American, 137 (0.6%) Asian, 24 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 10,339 (43.4%) from other races, and 1,018 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22,850 persons (96.0%).

The census reported that 23,797 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 8 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 5,607 households, 3,712 (66.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,941 (52.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,362 (24.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 686 (12.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 589 (10.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 42 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 399 households (7.1%) were one person and 176 (3.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.24. There were 4,989 families (89.0% of households); the average family size was 4.32.

The age distribution was 8,325 people (35.0%) under the age of 18, 2,858 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 7,279 people (30.6%) aged 25 to 44, 4,121 people (17.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,222 people (5.1%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 27.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

There were 5,770 housing units at an average density of 4,706.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,011 (18.0%) were owner-occupied and 4,596 (82.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.3%. 4,355 people (18.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,442 people (81.7%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Cudahy had a median household income of $38,267, with 31.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

As of 2000, Mexican (70.0%) and Salvadoran (5.7%) were the most common ancestries. Mexico (74.5%) and El Salvador (12.0%) were the most common foreign places of birth.

Government

In the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Cudahy is in the Fourth District, represented by Janice Hahn.

In the California State Legislature, Cudahy is in , and in .

In the United States House of Representatives, Cudahy is in .

Cudahy's council is elected through at-large elections with four-year seats.

Elections

2015

In March 2015, Measure A, which proposed a term limit of two four-year terms for City Council members, with partial terms of any length counting as a full term, was put to a vote. The measure was approved, with 672 "yes" votes to 133 "no" votes.

In that same election, five people (Christian Hernandez, Cristian Markovich, Adam Ochoa, Diane Oliva, and Baru Sanchez) ran for three city council seats. Hernandez, Markovich, and Sanchez won the election.

Infrastructure

Police Services used to be contracted through the City of Bell, but now contracts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Whittier Health Center in Whittier, serving Cudahy.

The United States Postal Service Cudahy Post Office is located at 4619 Elizabeth Street.

Transportation

Several bus routes operate through the town including Los Angeles Metro Bus routes 260/261 and 611. Route 111 operates on nearby Florence Ave.

Economy

After World War II the population of Cudahy worked for plants operated by General Motors, Chrysler, Firestone, and Bethlehem Steel. Any student who lives in the Bell or Huntington Park High School zones may apply to Maywood Academy High School; Maywood Academy, which opened in 2005 and moved into its permanent campus in 2006, does not have its own attendance boundary because it lacks American football, track and field, and tennis facilities.

Jaime Escalante Elementary School opened in Cudahy on August 16, 2010, named after Jaime Escalante, who was an East Los Angeles-high school educator.

An analysis based on census data, classified Cudahy as the 4th least educated city in California with 37.9 of its population not having completed the ninth grade.

Public libraries

The County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Cudahy Library at 5218 Santa Ana Street.