On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Florence-Graham is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #95 of 847 in California. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Florence-Graham’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Florence-Graham’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.6 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Florence-Graham’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Florence
1878–1918
Graham Station
1911–1918
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Firestone ParkFlorenceGrahamNadeauWingfoot
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Florence-Graham, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Florence-Graham yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Florence-Graham (also known as Florence-Firestone) is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 61,983 at the 2020 census, down from 63,387 at the 2010 census. The census area includes the communities of Florence, Firestone Park, and Graham. It is located in the south central region of Los Angeles County. The neighboring communities are Central-Alameda, Florence, Green Meadows, Lynwood, Vernon, Walnut Park, Watts, and Compton.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 63,387 to 61,983 (-2%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Florence-Graham, 1878 to 1923
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Florence-Graham. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1923Watts sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Florence-Graham.
People over time
Florence-Graham, census by census
Between 38,164 and 63,387 people in every census since 1960.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Florence-Graham’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Florence-Graham
Nobody well known was born in Florence-Graham itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Florence-Graham is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #95 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Florence-Graham?
31% of Florence-Graham’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.6 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1952.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2024
2024
2022
2012
