So, like, California’s population went up for the second year in a row, you know? According to some new data from the California Department of Finance that came out on Thursday. Looks like most of the growth happened in the big cities, which makes sense, right?
In 2024, seven out of the state’s top 10 biggest cities saw their populations grow again after taking a hit during the whole pandemic mess. By the end of the year, California’s population was almost back to where it was before the pandemic hit, but still a little short of the high point in April 2020.
Between April 2020 and January 2022, around 360,000 people left the state. But in 2024, California gained about 108,000 new residents, following a gain of nearly 200,000 in 2023. If things keep going this way, the state could get back to its pre-pandemic population level in 2025.
Governor Gavin Newsom was all like, “People from all over are coming to California to live the dream, you know? Where everyone’s rights are protected and respected.” He also mentioned how California’s economy is doing pretty well, from the Inland Empire to the Bay Area.
But Newsom also warned about the risks of high tariffs messing things up. He said they need to keep cutting through the red tape, investing in people, and getting real results from the government to keep the momentum going.
Bakersfield and San Diego were the big winners in terms of population growth in 2024, with increases of 1.2% and 1%, respectively. Los Angeles also saw a slight bump of 0.4%. But cities like San Jose and San Francisco actually saw their populations shrink a bit, along with Anaheim.
The state’s population went up by 108,000 in 2024, thanks to a natural increase of 114,805 people (more births than deaths). But there was also a net migration out of California of about 7,000 people. Over the past few years, more people have been leaving for states like Texas and Arizona than coming in.
On the housing front, things were still moving slowly in California. Housing only grew by 0.84% in 2024, similar to the year before. And get this, one in five new homes built in the state were Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The production of ADUs has been going up each year, making up a bigger chunk of new housing.
So, yeah, California’s population is on the rise again, which is good news after all the craziness of the pandemic. Let’s see where things go from here.
