Demographics

Incorporation	August 1957
Form of Government	Council/Manager
Population	109,681*
Incorporated Area	10.667 square miles
Median Income	$46,047
Unemployment Rate	4.9%
Housing Vacancy	1.4%
Taxable Sales	$985 million in 2005

*Source: California Department of Finance Population Estimate 5/2006;
  Employment Development Department, 5/2006 Ethnic Breakdown

*U.S. Census Bureau: State and County Quickfacts; includes persons reporting only one race. Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.

Hispanic	62.9%
White	44.8%
Asian	11.5%
African American	4.6%
American Indian	1.2%

Top Five Employers

Norwalk–La Mirada USD	4,161
Cerritos College	2,100
Metropolitan State Hospital	1,836
LA County Registrar–Recorder	1216
Bally Total Fitness Headquarters	650

Location

Norwalk is where California history intersects with new millennium technology in Southern California. A City, poised since the days of El Camino Real, in a regionally vital transportation hub. Norwalk is where you want to be, just minutes away from everywhere important in Southern California.

General Information

Norwalk was established as a “contract city” and continues to operate in that manner. A contract city is a city in which services such as police and fire are contracted with another agency. The City of Norwalk contracts with the Los Angeles County Fire and Sheriff's Department for these services. The community is considered a “no/low property tax” community, which means that the City receives a very small percentage of property tax collected by the state. The City’s major resource contributors are sales taxes, vehicle license fees from the state, utility user tax, and service fees. In addition, the City receives restricted funds to be used only for specific areas such as, street improvements, transportation, park improvements, etc., from the State and Federal governments.

Cultural Highlights

The City of Norwalk is home to the Sproul Museum and historical Hargitt House. The City is also a premier location for the production of featured motion pictures and television commercials, utilizing locations such as the historic Paddison Farm, Front Street and unique residential areas.