Lake Balboa, Los Angeles

Lake Balboa is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.There was debate about the official recognition of Lake Balboa as a community by the city of Los Angeles. In January 2006, that the city of Los Angeles adopted a formal community naming process (City of Los Angeles Council File Number 02-0196). This debate had important implications for the official existence of many other Los Angeles communities that were created prior to January 2006. These communities include Arleta, North Hills, Porter Ranch, Valley Glen, Valley Village, West Hills, Winnetka, and many others.PopulationThe 2000 U.S. census counted 24,328 residents in the 3.13-square-mile Lake Balboa neighborhood—or 7,754 people per square mile, about an average population density for the city. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 26,195. In 2000 the median age for residents was 35, considered average for city and county neighborhoods, but the percentage of residents aged 35 to 49 was among the county's highest.The neighborhood was considered "highly diverse" ethnically within Los Angeles. The breakdown was whites, 49%; Latinos, 34.1%; Asians, 8.8%; blacks, 3.5%; and others, 4.6%. Mexico (26%) and El Salvador (14.8%) were the most common places of birth for the 31.8% of the residents who were born abroad—a high percentage for Los Angeles.