Get to know Lakewood, CA

Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County sometimes called an “instant city” for its rapid post-war suburban development.  The area had been agricultural land growing lima beans when developers Louis Boyar, Mark Taper, and Ben Weingart started to plan the community in 1949.  By 1953 the community had been planned for mass-produced houses.  Lakewood was incorporated as a city in 1954 as America’s first “contract city.”  It is also the home of Denny’s Restaurant.  In 1959 Harold Butler renamed his Danny Donuts, founded in 1953, and created Denny’s.  The top employers in Lakewood are the Long Beach Unified School District and the Lakewood Regional Medical Center.

Quick Facts

Population: 81,173

Median Household Income: $79,193

Median Property Value: $424,200