Foreign-born residents accounted for 54% of the population in 2000. Glendale has a distinctively ethnic flavor, with large Armenian, Iranian, Filipino and Arab populations, and many businesses catering to them.
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 194,973 people, 71,805 households, and 49,617 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,456.1/km² (6,362.2/mi²). There were 73,713 housing units at an average density of 928.6/km² (2,405.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.6% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 16.1% Asian American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.6% from other races, and 10.1% from two or more races. 19.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 71,805 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,805, and the median income for a family was $47,633. Males had a median income of $39,709 versus $33,815 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,227. About 13.6% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Glendale is the city with the largest Armenian population in the United States[7]. Census figures indicate that people of Armenian heritage make up 40% of the city's population, totaling some 85,000 Armenian-Americans, and 29.61% of the city's population, some 54,180 people, speak the Armenian language at home[1]. As of 2007, two of the five members of Glendale's city council are of Armenian descent, Ara J. Najarian and Bob Yousefian. Armenian families have lived in the city since the 1920s, but the surge in immigration escalated in the 1970s and has fundamentally altered Glendale, transforming a former bastion of Anglo-Saxon, Protestant political power into a cultural melting pot. Evidence of Armenian influence pervades Glendale, and includes many restaurants, several Armenian schools, ethnic/cultural organizations, and on Armenian-language business and storefront signs. The Armenian community itself has evolved into a diverse group, with some in wealthy neighborhoods in the hills and poorer immigrants in south Glendale.
The transition has not always been smooth, as evidenced by various controversies, including:
