Population 4,378 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Wilshire Square: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Wilshire Square
Household size in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.97 | 4.54 | 3.14 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 4.95 | 4.61 | 3.20 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 4.74 | 4.50 | 3.16 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.86 | 4.01 | 3.01 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −1.10 | −0.53 | −0.13 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Wilshire Square is a place of big households: 3.86 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Locally, though, the typical household here is smaller than in Santa Ana as a whole, where it has 4.01 people. Household size has dropped from 4.97 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.6 | 29.5 | 35.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 28.6 | 30.5 | 36.7 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.8 | 32.4 | 38.0 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.6 | 35.2 | 39.5 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.0 | +5.7 | +4.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.6, Wilshire Square is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. The picture is much the same across Santa Ana.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.3% | 19.9% | 14.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 19.4% | 14.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 17.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 15.6% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.1 pts | −4.3 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Wilshire Square (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Wilshire Square has a lower share of single-parent households than most Santa Ana neighborhoods.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Wilshire Square
Renters in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4% | 50.2% | 48.8% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 43.2% | 54.1% | 50.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.9% | 53.7% | 51.4% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.4% | 55.1% | 51.6% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +2.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Wilshire Square rent their homes (37.4%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Santa Ana as a whole (55.1%). About a third of owners (33.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.1% | 5.6% | 7.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 1.4% | 4.4% | 6.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 4.2% | 6.6% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 4.3% | 6.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Wilshire Square: just 2.0% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Of Santa Ana's 32 neighborhoods, only two have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1965 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1948 | 1966 | 1966 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1943 | 1965 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1938 | 1967 | 1969 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −11 | +2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Wilshire Square is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1938, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Wilshire Square has the oldest homes of any Santa Ana neighborhood.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,100 | $1,317 | $1,328 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,464 | $1,378 | $1,415 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,753 | $1,662 | $1,755 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,002 | $2,154 | $2,279 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$902 | +$837 | +$951 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wilshire Square pays $2,002 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Santa Ana overall ($2,154). Rent takes 28.4% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Wilshire Square
Bachelor's degrees in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 11.8% | 29.7% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 11.6% | 30.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 14.4% | 33.7% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 17.4% | 37.6% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +21.2 pts | +5.6 pts | +7.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Wilshire Square than nationally: 28.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is higher than in Santa Ana overall (17.4%). Wilshire Square has a higher share of college graduates than the great majority of Santa Ana neighborhoods.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9% | 50.7% | 76.7% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 46.0% | 53.4% | 77.7% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 57.6% | 58.7% | 80.0% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 71.2% | 66.4% | 82.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +33.4 pts | +15.8 pts | +5.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults in Wilshire Square never finished high school, well above the national share: only 71.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Locally, though, the rate is higher than in Santa Ana overall (66.4%). Wilshire Square has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Santa Ana neighborhoods.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Wilshire Square
| Period | Wilshire Square | Santa Ana | Los Angeles area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 9.2% | 8.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 9.9% | 10.6% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.7% | 4.8% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.8 pts | −4.4 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wilshire Square has been low: just 1.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Wilshire Square has the lowest unemployment rate of any Santa Ana neighborhood. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Wilshire Square compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilshire Square | 3.86 | 35.6 | 10.2% | 37.4% | 2.0% | 1938 | $2,002 | 28.4% | 71.2% | 1.7% |
| Madison Park | 4.34 | 35.7 | 16.7% | 38.5% | 1.8% | 1956 | $2,201 | 8.2% | 62.4% | 2.8% |
| Memorial Park | 4.88 | 35.3 | 20.5% | 33.6% | 3.2% | 1953 | $2,385 | 7.7% | 52.1% | 5.0% |
| Henninger Park | 3.72 | 34.7 | 18.1% | 70.0% | 4.6% | 1961 | $1,707 | 7.3% | 63.0% | 5.0% |
| Pico-Lowell | 4.74 | 33.6 | 15.1% | 62.7% | 1.9% | 1956 | $1,830 | 7.0% | 51.8% | 7.0% |
| Mid City-Santa Ana | 5.22 | 34.4 | 25.2% | 37.4% | 3.0% | 1956 | $1,871 | 11.6% | 54.2% | 2.5% |
| Thornton Park | 3.82 | 35.6 | 9.7% | 42.2% | 5.0% | 1970 | $1,963 | 18.0% | 66.5% | 2.3% |
| Eastside Santa Ana | 4.47 | 32.8 | 12.2% | 64.6% | 5.3% | 1965 | $1,800 | 7.1% | 57.3% | 6.4% |
| Cornerstone Village | 3.79 | 27.5 | 26.1% | 96.7% | 2.0% | 1969 | $1,470 | 2.4% | 56.7% | 2.9% |
| Delhi | 4.53 | 33.4 | 15.6% | 53.4% | 4.7% | 1956 | $2,045 | 10.7% | 64.6% | 6.3% |
| Central City Santa Ana | 5.33 | 34.2 | 16.9% | 30.8% | 2.3% | 1957 | $2,574 | 12.8% | 53.6% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Rio Grande Park, Orlando, FL · Holy Cross, New Orleans, LA · Homestead, Portland, OR · Houghton, Tucson, AZ · Hunter's Ridge, Fontana, CA · Hunterwood, Houston, TX · Indian River Park, Mims, FL · Indian Village, Lincoln, NE · Keewaydin, Minneapolis, MN · Kinsmith, Cleveland, OH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Wilshire Square. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.