Bel Air (Los Angeles)

Bel Air, Bel-Air or Bel Air Estates is a neighborhood in the Westside area of Los Angeles, California, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. The lightly populated residential district, with an older, well-educated population, has a high income level and a large percentage of married people. It was founded in 1923.PopulationThe 2000 U.S. census counted 7,691 residents in the 6.37sqmi Bel Air neighborhood; with it has among the lowest population densities for the city and the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 8,253. In 2000 the median age for residents was 46, which was high for city and county neighborhoods. The percentages of residents aged 50 and older was among the county's highest. The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $207,938, the highest figure for any neighborhood or city in Los Angeles County. Renters occupied 14.5% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners held 85.5%. The average household size of 2.4 people was considered typical for Los Angeles.The 4.1% of families headed by single parents was considered low for city and county neighborhoods. The percentages of married people in Bel Air were among the county's highest—66.0% for men and 65.7% for women. There were 808 veterans, or 12.9% of the population.The neighborhood was considered "not especially diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles, with a relatively high percentage of white people. The breakdown was whites, 83.0%; Asians, 8.2%; Latinos, 4.6%; blacks, 0.9%; and others, 3.2%. Iran (26.1%) and South Africa (8.2%) were the most common places of birth for the 24.1% of the residents who were born abroad—which was an average percentage for Los Angeles as a whole.