Tarzana is an affluent neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. Tarzana is on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is named after Burroughs’ storybook jungle character hero, Tarzan
Boundaries
Tarzana, which measures 8.79 square miles, is bounded on the south by Topanga State Park, on the east by Encino, on the north by Reseda and on the west by Woodland Hills.
Victory Boulevard marks the northern edge of the neighborhood, Lindley Avenue the eastern, Corbin Avenue, with a jog to Oakdale Avenue, the western, and Topanga State Park the southern.
Population
The U.S. census counted 35,502 people living in Tarzana in 2000, and Los Angeles estimated the neighborhood’s population at 37,778 in 2008. There were 4,038 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities in the city.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the racial composition was predominantly white (70.7%), followed by Asian (5%), and black or African American (3.6%). The Los Angeles Times considered the area as “moderately diverse”. Thirty-five percent of the population was foreign-born. Iran (24.2%) and Mexico (12.1%) were the most common foreign places of birth.
The percentage of divorced men and women was among the county’s highest. Some 9% of the residents were military veterans, considered high for the city of Los Angeles. The percentages of residents aged 50 and older were among the county’s highest. The median age, 38, was old when compared to the rest of the city and the county. The median household income in 2008 dollars was considered high, at $73,195.
Education
Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies
A total of 40.3% of Tarzana residents aged 25 and older have earned a four-year degree. Percentages of those residents with a bachelor’s degree or with a master’s degree are also high for the county.
Schools within Tarzana are:
Gaspar de Portola Middle School, LAUSD, 18720 Linnet Street
Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (4-12), LAUSD alternative, 18605 Erwin Street
Vanalden Avenue Elementary School, LAUSD, 19019 Delano Street
Tarzana Elementary School, LAUSD, 5726 Topeka Drive
CHIME Institute’s Schwarzenegger Community School, LAUSD charter, 19722 Collier Street
Wilbur Charter for Enriched Academics, LAUSD K–5, 5213 Crebs Avenue
Nestle Avenue Elementary School, LAUSD, 5060 Nestle Avenue
Zoned high schools serving Tarzana include:
Birmingham High School in (Lake Balboa area)
Reseda High School (in Reseda area)
Taft High School (in Woodland Hills area)
