Fullerton, CA Economic Overview
Fullerton is a city in north Orange County, covering 22.2 square miles and located just 25 miles southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Known as “the Education Community,” the city is home to numerous higher educational institutions, particularly California State University and Fullerton College. With more than 50 city parks, a museum, a cultural center, two libraries, two golf courses, two sports complexes, two regional parks, 29 miles of hiking trails, and approximately 200 acres of overall recreational land, Fullerton also appeals to those with a taste for adventure and thrill. The Fullerton commercial real estate scene accommodates over 12,130 businesses, is home to a number of major national and international corporations, and is ideally located for transportation, bounded by three major highways and located 15 miles northwest of John Wayne Airport. The City is home to a population of just over 140,000, ranking the seventh largest in Orange County.
Once a center of agriculture, the city of Fullerton became home to a large industrial base, largely made up of aerospace contractors, canneries and paper products manufacturers, from the mid-1940s through the late 1990s. While the late nineties were plagued with slow economic activity throughout its commercial districts, Fullerton has since transformed into a bustling entertainment region, with a dynamic downtown core, described by the OC Weekly as “Bourbon Street West.” In less than five years, some 30 businesses opened their doors, transforming the downtown district into an active commercial scene. Fullerton is also home to a vibrant music scene and is considered to be the birthplace of the electric guitar, in which Leo Fender developed and refined the design of the Fender Telecaster. It is now the center for the Orange County hardcore punk music scene, producing well-known acts, such as Gwen Stefani. Fullerton also boasts a small, but diverse theatre scene, with most large-scale productions happening at its higher educational institutions. In addition to its well-established manufacturing and industrial base, as well as stable retail sector, the City is a major center of higher education in Orange County, accommodating a combined student enrollment of over 55,000 students. Fullerton is home to a more affluent household base than surrounding areas, and boasts a median household income of over $65,000. The City’s largest employers are located within the education, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors and include California State University, St. Jude Medical Center, Raytheon, Fullerton School District, Alcoa Fastening Systems, and Fullerton College.
1440 North Harbor Boulevard, Fullerton, CA