This profile offers a snapshot of the Eaton Fire burn area, highlighting demographics, employment, income, health, and environmental factors to provide insight into the affected communities.

Demography

The data below is intended to summarize key demographic components of the Eaton Fire burn area.

77,547

21%

24%

2.73

Total Population

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

Population aged 65+

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

Immigrant Population

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

Average Household Size

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

Within the affected areas, 14% of the population is Black, which is nearly double the Los Angeles County average of 8%.

As of 2023, 54% of the population within the burn area was born in California.

As of 2023, about 21% of residents within the burn area were above the age of 65. This is about 6 percentage points higher than the Los Angeles County average of 15%.

A Closer Look at Black Households in Altadena

As of 2023, 6% of Black residents in Altadena were living below 100% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) compared to 20% of Black residents across Los Angeles County.
As of 2023, 81% of Black households in Altadena were homeowners compared to 32% of Black households across Los Angeles County.
As of 2023, the median home value for Black households in Altadena was $961,000 compared to $677,700 across Los Angeles County (more than $283,000 difference).

Source: ACS 5-yr, 2023

Housing & Real Estate

The data below is intended to summarize the housing and real estate landscape of the Eaton Fire burn area.

$2,198

Median Gross Rent

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

50%

Rent Burden

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

25%

Renter Rate

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

88%

Single Family Units

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

The median home value within the burn areas is $1,130,000, approximately $350,000 more than the Los Angeles County average.

As of 2023, nearly 87% of housing within the burn area was built before 1979.

Nearly 75% of residents within the burn area are homeowners, significantly higher than the Los Angeles County average of 46%.

Health & Environment

The data below is intended to summarize key health and environmental indicators across the Eaton Fire burn area.

56th

Wildfire Percentile

(FEMA, 2023)

34%

All Green Coverage

(NAIP, 2022)

81 y/o

Life Expectancy
(National Center for Health Statistics, 2015)

33%

Existing Tree Canopy

(CURes at LMU, 2016)

Around 34% of the burn area is covered by vegetation. This is significantly higher than the Los Angeles County average of 20%.

As of 2023, the impacted areas were exposed to wildfire risks at a rate higher than 56% of other at-risk communities nation-wide.

About 9% of residents within the burn area suffer from asthma. Wildfire smoke contains a mix of pollutants that can trigger and worsen respiratory symptoms.

Employment & Income

The data below is intended to summarize key employment and income indicators across the Eaton Fire burn area.

$137,000

Median Household Income

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

9%

Opportunity Youth

(ACS 5-yr, 2022)

6%

Unemployment Rate

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

8%

Below 100% Poverty Threshold

(ACS 5-yr, 2023)

Within the burn area, 9% of youth ages 16-24 are considered opportunity youth, meaning they are neither working nor in school.

About 3% of households within the impacted area have received some form of cash public assistance in the last 12 months (such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF).

About 11% of households in the affected burn areas are classified as extremely low-income, meaning they earn no more than 30% of the median family income in the Los Angeles Metro Area.

Explore more indicators for the impacted areas on the NDSC map below.

If you are in need of support, we encourage you to utilize the resource directory from Los Angeles County Recovers.

Palisades Fire Community Profile

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Hurst Fire Community Profile

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Authors & Contributors

Justin Culetu

Justin is a first-year Master of Public Policy Student at the Price School of Public Policy. He studied at the University of California, San Diego where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Law/Political Science as a student-athlete on the men’s NCAA Division 1 swim team. His policy interests are Homeland Security and Congressional Oversight.

Emily Phillips

Emily (she/her) is the Project Specialist at Neighborhood Data for Social Change. Emily received her Master in Public Policy with a specialization in advocacy communications from the USC Price School in the Spring of 2024. Prior to relocating to Southern California, Emily grew up in Phoenix and then obtained her BA in Political Science and Global Studies from Loyola University Chicago. Her main focus incudes policy advocacy across a variety of policy areas including housing, health, and racial justice. She is passionate about community engagement and social impact.

Other contributors include: Elly Schoen, Cameron Yap & Ben Regev