Li, Roland. “California’s Population Growth Slows as Sacramento Surges, SF Flattens.” San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Dec. 2025, www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/population-gain-sf-la-sacramento-21252527.php.

San Francisco has seen far less growth in current times with it only gaining 300 people 2024-2025 year ending in July. San Francisco still has 30,000 residents less than its pre-pandemic peak population. California had a net of 126,000 people entering the country in 2024, but with tightening policies around immigration that will likely drop in the following years. From July 2024 and July 2025 California had a net of 216,000 people leave  which increased from 140,000 since the year before. Among the Bay Area, Napa County saw the biggest percentage increase of .36% which is 500 residents. On the other hand Marin County had the largest percentage loss with a drop by .39% which was 1000 people. Los Angeles county saw a loss of .29% while Sacramento County saw a huge gain of .55%.

I find it really interesting how of all places in California San Francisco has been struggling growth wise. Originally I assumed that many people were still moving there because of how it’s spoken about but when thinking about rising costs S.F. It is often agreed to be too expensive. When seeing that both S.F. And LA is losing more people and not gaining as many back. It becomes clear that big cities living in California are becoming far too expensive for the average person. This is likely why other places such as Sacramento with lower cost of living are seeing higher population growth.

Ellison, Jackson. “PPIC: California Sees the Slowest Population Growth on Record in a 25-Year Period.” Abc10.com, KXTV, 22 Jan. 2026, www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/ppic-california-slowest-population-growth-record-25-year-period/103-15680bd2-8644-413f-8e5b-ffa407315ca

From 2010 to 2024 California only saw 7 million people moving  into the state from other places in the country while it saw 10 million people leaving the state. Despite the slow growth in the past 25 years it still remains one of the most populated states. California also didn’t see a real decline in population until covid when the population finally declined. The PPIC cites the primary reason for people leaving as housing and the states increasingly focus on it. Last year Governor Newsom signed two bills that implemented many reforms to the California environmental quality act which rolled back regulations allowing for a speeding up of housing production. Legislators have also advanced a 10 billion housing bond to make 40,000 affordable housing projects to offset the amount of people struggling.

This relates to APES because we see a very common economic pattern with this being an example of supply and demand. Due to the excellent conditions of California lots of people want to live here leading to an increase in demand which drives the prices of homes up. I find it quite interesting how California is struggling with its population due to the government wanting more people to live here. If California had not prioritized housing and people moving here then we might not have this slowing population growth. It’s also interesting how even with such a large population we still see large declines due to rising prices.

McLean, Tessa. “New Calif. Population Numbers Show Signs of Struggle.” SFGATE,

22  Dec. 2025,    www.sfgate.com/california/article/california-population-up-officials-issue-warning-21257375.php

California’s population grew by only .05% between July 1st 2024 and July 1st 2025. That percentage represents 19200 new people in the state mostly being new births with some being from immigration resulting in a current population of 39,529,000 people. Even though that may seem like a small amount it keeps California growing for the third year in a row as compared to the declining populations during covid. California also has a lowering immigration rate with less than half the amount of people immigrating in 2024 than 2023. California also has declining fertility rates as well as an increasing death rate. Even California’s most populous county Los Angeles county had a loss of .29%.

California has been seeing a large drop in population from the and less immigration to California and more emigration out of California. California has also been struggling in regaining its population since during covid so many people moved away due to prices. With the combination of lowering population and a declining fertility rate we are seeing our state population gradually get older and older. If we don’t acknowledge this we could end up like a country such as Japan with an aging population that’s constantly declining. Overall we must address the aging and declining population to prevent further loss as a state.

McLean, Tessa. “New Calif. Population Numbers Show Signs of Struggle.” SFGATE,

22  Dec. 2025,    www.sfgate.com/california/article/california-population-up-officials-issue-warning-21257375.php

California’s population grew by only .05% between July 1st 2024 and July 1st 2025. That percentage represents 19200 new people in the state mostly being new births with some being from immigration resulting in a current population of 39,529,000 people. Even though that may seem like a small amount it keeps California growing for the third year in a row as compared to the declining populations during covid. California also has a lowering immigration rate with less than half the amount of people immigrating in 2024 than 2023. California also has declining fertility rates as well as an increasing death rate. Even California’s most populous county Los Angeles county had a loss of .29%.

California has been seeing a large drop in population from the and less immigration to California and more emigration out of California. California has also been struggling in regaining its population since during covid so many people moved away due to prices. With the combination of lowering population and a declining fertility rate we are seeing our state population gradually get older and older. If we don’t acknowledge this we could end up like a country such as Japan with an aging population that’s constantly declining. Overall we must address the aging and declining population to prevent further loss as a state.

Johnson , Hans, and Marisol Mejia . “California’s Population.” Public Policy Institute of California , 1 Jan. 2026, www.ppic.org/publication/californias-population/.

California has more people living in the state than any other in the nation with over 39.5 million people. The population is projected to grow to 39.7 million by 2030 and then 40.5 million by 2040. Since 2000 California has experienced its slowest rate of population growth of only 5.8 percent from 2010 to 2020. California also suffered a population loss of 322,000 during July 2020 to July 2022 due to the pandemic. Since July 2022 to July 2025 the population has grown by 309,000 people nearly balancing out the dent covid caused. With such a high population California also has a huge amount of immigrants with over 10 million Californians being immigrants. California also has the 20th youngest population with the median age being 38.4 whereas the nationwide median age is 39.2.

It’s very surprising to find out that California is the most populated state in the nation. I say this because the cost of living is so high being one of the highest in the nation I would assume this would lead to less people living here. I’m also surprised that the state has seen such a slow population growth. This is surprising to me because in the media it’s often stated how badly everyone wants to live here so for this I would assume in modern times people would strive to live here and lots would be moving now. It also makes sense that so many people in California are immigrants as it seems as the economy here is largely dependent on them.

Castleman, Terry. “California Sees Population Growth for Third Consecutive Year after Pandemic-Era Exodus.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2025, www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-19/california-sees-population-growth-for-third-consecutive-year-after-pandemic-era-exodus#:~:text=The%20state’s%20population%20grew%20by,but%20still%20paltry%20at%200.58%25.

California’s population has increased for the third consecutive year. From July 1st, 2o24, to July 1, 2025 the population has seen an increase of .o5%(19,200 people).  Pre-pandemic California was at about 39.53 million people but then it dropped for the first time by 213 thousand people. Over time people have gradually moved back to California with it returning to the same number of 39.53 million people. While people have been continuing to depart from California there is lots of international immigration and new births.

I found it quite surprising that California has never seen a decline in population until the pandemic. Upon further thought it makes sense as California saw a huge spike during the gold rush and was then praised for quality conditions so it makes sense it would be a hotspot to move to. It’s also interesting how even though  people are still moving out of California likely due to cost of living due to immigration and births outweigh it leading to an increasing population. Overall I found it to be an interesting article especially with the info on how steady California’s growth has been

San Francisco Chronicle. (December 19, 2025). California’s population growth slows as Sacramento increases and San Francisco flattens. https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/population-gain-sf-la-sacramento-21252527.php

This article uses US Census Data to identify the state’s Californians most commonly move to when leaving California, this includes Texas, Arizona and Nevada. The article helps explain that lowering housing costs, tax differences, and expanding remote work opportunities have made these states more appealing. As a result many Californians are choosing to relocate in search of a more affordable lifestyle due to the growing economy and expenses in California.

In this article it highlights how economic factors strongly influence population movement. Many residents are not leaving California by choice but it’s because living in the state has become too expensive due to the growing economy in Tech and more high-income families moving in. I think it is important to know that the article connects well with others by explaining one of the main reasons behind California’s population growth. Without changes to housing and costs of living issues this trend will likely continue.

 Sheets, C. (2025, December 19). California sees population growth for third consecutive year after pandemic-era exodus. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-19/california-sees-population-growth-for-third-consecutive-year-after-pandemic-era-exodus

This article reports on newly released population estimates from California officials. Although the States population has increased slightly the article explains that the growth remains weak and uneven across different regions. Much of the increase is attributed to immigration while many long-term residents continue to move to other states. The article also warns that the aging population and declining birth rates may create economic and social challenges for the future as California has only planned to sustain a constant growing population.

This article shows that population growth does not always equal stability as declining rates in birth and increasing rates in death due to aging residents can cause severe economic challenges for California. Even a small increase can hide deeper issues beneath the surface. I think this article is important because it explains why officials remain concerned despite positive numbers. Also the increase in pricing in California will cause a significant change whether women want to have children or can support themselves which may cause them to move to cheaper States.

ABC10. (2026, January). PPIC: California sees the slowest population growth on record in a 25-year period. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/ppic-california-slowest-population-growth-record-25-year-period/103-15680bd2-8644-413f-8e5b-ffa407315ca4

  The article discusses a report from public policy Institute of California showing that California’s population growth rate is the slowest it has been in the past 25 years. The article explains that this slowdown is caused by declining birth rates, increased deaths among older populations, and continued domestic out migration. While some Inland regions are growing , many coastal cities are experiencing a population decline. The article also explains how these trends could have a long-term effect on California’s workforce and economy.

This article helped me understand how demographic trends can influence an entire State’s future. California has historically been associated with rapid growth in population so the shift represents a major change.  slower population growth could lead to challenges such as labor  shortages and reduced funding for public services. This article highlights why it is important for leaders to plan for these challenges instead of assuming constant growth.

Hans Johnson & Marisol Cuellar Mejia. (2026, January). Who’s Leaving California—and Who’s Moving In? PPIC Blog. https://www.ppic.org/blog/whos-leaving-california-and-whos-moving-in/

California’s population has increased for the third year in a row according to the new state  and census  data though the growth remains minimal compared to the historical trends. The article explains that California added roughly 19,000 residents between mid 2024 and mid 2025 a modest gain driven primarily by International immigration and natural population increase rather than domestic migration. While some urban areas remain the same or continue to lose residents, others have begun to stabilize. High housing costs, remote work and migration to more affordable states are identified as key factors limiting faster growth.

This article highlights how California’s population growth is fragile and heavily dependent on immigration rather than people moving within the United States. It demonstrates that while the state may be recovering from the pandemic era population loss, underlying issues such as housing affordability and cost of living still discouraged long-term growth. I believe this reflects a larger challenge California faces that maintaining Economic Opportunity while remaining livable for its residents. We need to come up with a better way for California’s large population to be able to afford to live here.