“Los Angeles” can refer to the city, LA County, or the extensive Southern California region that spans seven counties and covers 33,950 square miles (87,940 sq km). LA County sits at the core. Orange County claims the southeast beaches. Riverside and San Bernardino counties sprawl into the eastern desert. Ventura County hugs the northwest coastline. San Diego and Kern counties contribute to their border areas. The entire territory is home to approximately 18.5 million people, ranking second in the US after New York’s metropolitan area.
Reddit user Cyan_Among mapped out every city in this region, as well as all the neighborhoods within Los Angeles.
LA County is shown in light blue. It has9.7 million people living across 88 different cities. The darker blue area in the center is Los Angeles city, which has3.9 million residents.z
ounty
Population (2024)
Area
Density
Los Angeles County
9,757,179
4,083 sq mi 10,575 sq km
2,390 per sq mi 923 per sq km
Orange County
3,170,435
948 sq mi 2,455 sq km
3,345 per sq mi 1,292 per sq km
Riverside County
2,529,933
7,208 sq mi 18,669 sq km
351 per sq mi 135 per sq km
San Bernardino County
2,195,611*
20,105 sq mi 52,072 sq km
109 per sq mi 42 per sq km
Ventura County
835,427
1,846 sq mi 4,781 sq km
453 per sq mi 175 per sq km
San Diego County
3,298,799
4,526 sq mi 11,723 sq km
729 per sq mi 282 per sq km
Kern County
922,529*
8,161 sq mi 21,137 sq km
113 per sq mi 44 per sq km
Greater LA Total
18,500,000
33,954 sq mi 87,940 sq km
545 per sq mi 210 per sq km
*2023 data used where 2024 not available
Orange County has a population density of 3,345 people per square mile (1,292 per square kilometer). San Bernardino County covers 20,105 square miles / 52,072 sq km but has just 109 people per square mile (42 per sq km). You could drop 30 Orange Counties into San Bernardino County’s footprint. Orange County would still have more people total.
Ventura County has 835,000 residents living along the northern coast. In Orange County, 3.17 million people pay premium prices to stay near the water. Riverside County added 110,000 residents from 2020 to 2024. About 2.53 million people live there now, concentrated along the I-15. Houses cost roughly half what they do in Orange County, so people trade beach access for something they can actually buy.
By 2030, Los Angeles city is expected to reach a population of 4.2 million, while LA County could drop to 12.8 million. One study suggests LA County may lose 1.4 million people by 2060. The main reason is housing prices. The median home in LA County costs more than $800,000, while similar homes in Riverside County are under $600,000. When you add in higher taxes, expensive rent, and regular two-hour commutes, moving inland starts to make sense. Most people leaving LA County move to Riverside or San Bernardino counties.
