Half of Lake Los Angeles’ homes were built after 1983
More historic than 5% of U.S. towns · #768 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Lake Los Angeles was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: maps from 1930 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lake Los Angeles is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #768 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lake Los Angeles’ 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 Lake Los Angeles’ 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 (±0.6 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 Lake Los Angeles’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The region was once called Los Angeles Buttes, since they were the only ones in the northern part of the county. The eponymous lakes (one dedicated to fishing and one dedicated to swimming and boating) have dried up. The fishing lake was stocked with trout, bass and catfish. In 1967, during the 1960s land speculation boom in the Antelope Valley, land developers bought 4,000 acres (16 km2) in the region, subdivided it into 4,465 lots, and artificially refilled the natural lake and named it Lake Los Angeles as an enticement to land buyers. Advertisements showed a water skier on the lake (which was probably no more than 5 feet deep) and a showcase home on the top of the nearby hill, giving the impression of a resort town. There was a country club and a high-end restaurant that overlooked the large recreational lake. There was also a small store/bar and grill. Streets were named Biglake Ave…
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lake Los Angeles. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1930Lovejoy Springs 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 Lake Los Angeles.
People over time
Lake Los Angeles, census by census
Between 7,977 and 13,187 people in every census since 1990.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lake Los Angeles’ Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Lake Los Angeles
Nobody well known was born in Lake Los Angeles itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Lake Los Angeles’ history
How does Lake Los Angeles rank for history?
Lake Los Angeles is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #768 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 Lake Los Angeles?
0.0% of Lake Los Angeles’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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
2016
