Just a few years ago, continued population decline and waning influence in Washington seemed like an inevitable part of California’s story. But a new chapter is being written in real time. The California exodus is over, and the state appears to be bouncing back after the pandemic slump.
According to figures released Thursday by the state’s Department of Finance, the Golden State grew by 108,000 people in 2024, reaching a total of 39,529,000 residents. It was the second straight year of growth.
Of the state’s 58 counties, 35 experienced a population increase. The largest growth occurred in the Central Valley, the Inland Empire, and coastal counties. Lassen County was number one, increasing by an impressive 2.88%. Glenn County was second (+1.35%), followed by Fresno (+0.87%), Sutter (+0.83%), Imperial (+0.81%), and Tulare (+0.73%).
Nine out of 10 counties with one million or more people also experienced population rise. Contra Costa was the only large county to see a decline.
California’s major cities helped propelled the exodus during the pandemic. Now, they're making a comeback. Of the 10 largest cities, seven saw population growth last year. Bakersfield recorded 1.2% growth, San Diego recorded 1% growth, and Los Angeles grew by 0.4%. Only three major cities saw population decline: San Francisco, San Jose, and Anaheim.
Natural population increase — births outpacing deaths — accounted for much of the state’s growth, as did a rise in the senior citizen population and legal immigrants from foreign countries. Net migration out of the state was 7,000 in 2024.
Housing is not keeping up with population growth
While a rebounding population is always a good sign, the fact remains that California isn’t building enough housing to accommodate growth. Housing increased by 0.84%, which was much less than other states. One in five new homes built in California last year were ADUs.
A recent Southern Methodist University study confirmed California’s abysmal record on housing when compared to other states. The report, titled “Build Homes, Expand Opportunity,” concluded that states like Texas and Utah have the most pro-growth policies, while California lags far behind. The fastest-growing cities employ policies like reduced minimum lot sizes, allowing residential construction in commercial areas, lack of parking requirements, and use of new technologies such as modular construction and 3D printing.
According to the report, the top five pro-growth metros in the U.S. are Charlotte, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; Greenville, South Carolina; Provo, Utah; and Houston, Texas.
Oxnard, California was ranked as the second most restrictive metro for housing after Honolulu. The third most restrictive metro in the U.S. is San Jose, then San Diego, Riverside-San Bernardino, and Springfield, Massachusetts.
You can read the report here.