Asian Ethnic Origin
Los Angeles County

Census Counts/Estimates for 2010, 2020, & 2024

A procession at Wat Thai Buddhist Temple in North Hollywood. Los Angeles is home to the largest Thai population outside of Thailand. Los Angeles Almanac Photo

Also see:
-- Asian Ethnic Origin by City and Community, Los Angeles County
-- Asian Ethnic Origin, Los Angeles County, 2000 Census

Los Angeles County has, by far, the largest Asian population of any county in the United States. According to U.S. Census 2021 estimates, Los Angeles County is home to 1.48 million persons of Asian descent (racially Asian alone; 1.68 million when mixed with other races). This is a little more than twice the Asian population in second-place Santa Clara County, California (736,650). In terms of what percentage of the total population is Asian, however, Los Angeles County’s Asian population makes up only about 15 percent of the county’s total population (compared to 38 percent for Santa Clara County and even 21 percent for Orange County, California. Nevertheless, Los Angeles County is also home to the largest populations that are ethnically Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Korean, Cambodian, Thai, Indonesian, Sri Lankan, Mongolian and Malaysian (and the second largest ethnic Japanese population only after Honolulu County, Hawaii).

Also see: How the San Gabriel Valley Became America's "Suburban Chinatown".

Population that is Asian Alone. Some data were not available for some categories in some years.

* U.S. Census estimates based upon data and surveys collected by the American Community Survey over the preceding five-year period. These estimates are issued annually between full Decennial Census counts conducted each decade.

Some data were not available for some categories in some years.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

The 1860 U.S. Census was the first to specifically identify Asian persons residing in Los Angeles County. The census of that year counted 11 "Asiatic" persons (later classified as Chinese) in Los Angeles County.