Beverly Hills, 90210: A Look at Then and Now

Plaid shirts, torn jeans and a jacket tied around the waist. Though you may try to hide it now, many of you Generation X-ers who grew up idolizing bad boy Dylan McKay, All-American sweetheart Kelly Taylor and the salt-of-the-earth Walsh twins must have smirked when you noticed today’s momentous date–September 2, 2010, or rather, 9/02/10.

The original prime time teen drama, Beverly Hills, 90210 first aired October 4, 1990 and ended its run May 17, 2000. It’s fitting, because no other TV show better defined the ’90s than the story of a Minnesota family moving to arguably the most affluent neighborhood in the United States.

The show inspired many rip-offs and four official other spin-offs, including the current reincarnation that, quite honestly, pales in comparison. Regardless of what you thought of the final product on screen–whether you watched it for the unintentional humor or were genuinely invested in the story lines–it’s hard to deny that 90210 gave people exactly what they wanted: Sunny California weather, ritzy shopping on Rodeo Drive and best of all, high school drama.

To celebrate this blessed occasion, here’s a look at the most famous zip code in the world during the show’s run.

Total population:
1990: 31,971
2000:  33,784

Median household income (dollars)
1990:  $54,348
2000:  $70,945

Median family income (dollars)
1990: $83,272
2000: $102,611

Per capita income (dollars)
1990: $55,463
2000: $65,507

In Labor Force:
1990: 17,474
2000: 16,818

Employed:
1990: 16,810
2000: 15,916

Unemployed:
1990: 664
2000: 902

In Armed Forces:
1990: 0
2000: 0

Family households with income over $100,000:
1990: 44.0%
2000: 37.9%

So there you go. For a quick comparison, the median household income in 2000 for the entire U.S. was about $42,000, and per capita income was only $21,587. What’s even more interesting is that in 10 years, no one in the armed forces resided there.

With all that money and teen angst flying around, it’s easy to see why people kept tuning in for 10 years. What was your favorite moment in 90210 history? Was it when Donna Martin graduated? Or was it when Brenda and Dylan finally got together?

*All data according to the U.S. Census Bureau