Cinema Deserts
A Spatial Analysis of AMC Theaters in Los Angeles County
Introduction
Modern-day cityscape amenities like parks, grocery stores, and entertainment are often not easily accessible to everyone. Just as food deserts highlight limited access to fresh produce, 'cinema deserts' reveal inequities in entertainment availability. Access to entertainment is significant to a person's psychological, social, and emotional functionality (Takiguchi, 2022). This study analyzes the spatial distribution of AMC theaters across Los Angeles County, revealing accessibility trends relative to racial and socioeconomic demographics. This is the first study to identify cinema deserts in Los Angeles to bring awareness to an overlooked branch of urban inequality.
Background
Cinema deserts are similar to food deserts in that numerous individuals cannot access cinema experiences within a one-mile radius of their homes. Raising awareness of cinema deserts is important because it is not usually addressed and instead an overlooked subject. Accessible entertainment is as crucial as access to fresh foods to lead a healthy lifestyle (Takiguchi, 2022).
AMC Theatre Locations within Los Angeles County
AMC movie theatres selectively place their cinema locations in high-income, white neighborhoods (Scripps News Staff, 2023). The neighborhoods within the cinema desert are of lower incomes and a majority POC population.
Data
A spatial dataset of AMC theater locations was created median household income, population density, and percent of White residents. The data is from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate of 2018 to 2022 block groups.
Los Angeles County was chosen as the study area instead of the city because it is a more extensive study area. The Los Angeles Area is considered the entertainment capital of the world and should be sufficient for its citizens. Los Angeles City does not include cities such as Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, or Pasadena, while the county does. As of 2022, the county has a population size of 9,721,138 (Data USA, 2022) and consists of 4,083 square miles of urban areas, cityscapes, mountains, deserts, and coastlines (Pitt 2025). Spatial geometries were accessed through the Tiger/LINE system.
Median Household Income by Block Groups
Population Density by Block Groups
White Population Count by Block Groups
Methods
Buffers with one, three, and five-mile radiuses were created around all AMC locations.
AMC Theatres
The population composition inside and outside the buffers was analyzed through visualization and descriptive statistics. The mean was collectively measured for the data inside and outside of the buffers.
Results
The mean distribution of data within and outside one, three, and five mile buffers of AMC theatres per block group is listed in the table below:
Data | Within 1 Mile | Outside 1 Miles | Within 3 Miles | Outside 3 Miles | Within 5 Miles | Outside 5Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median Household Income | $109,823 | $104,353 | $119,547 | $97,998 | $112,858 | $94,743 |
Population Density | 12,458 | 9,704 | 10,725 | 9,443 | 11,141 | 9,840 |
White Population Density | 768 | 663 | 699 | 654 | 660 | 678 |
Table with mean data of Median Household Income, Population Density, and White Population Density within and outside set buffers
Buffer Comparisons of the data
Conclusion
To conclude, this study reveals how the placement of AMC theatres relates to higher incomes and larger White populations. The median household income was consistently higher within the buffers than outside. The proportion of White residents is highest within 1 mile of the AMC theatres, compared to the other buffers. In this analysis, people who live closer to AMC theaters have higher incomes than those who live farther away, and neighborhoods with an AMC theater have a higher percentage of White residents.
This spatial analysis suggests that AMC reevaluates its placement throughout Los Angeles County by considering socioeconomic factors in urban spaces. This would create a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible Los Angeles for those within cinema deserts.