California lost another 37,000 people from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, marking the third straight year of population decline.
The exodus has eased since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains historically significant. The Golden State experienced no population losses between 1900 and 2020. Today, it is fourth in the nation for population decline experienced over the past four years. Meanwhile, states like Idaho, South Carolina and Florida continue to welcome many newcomers.
If this situation continues, California could lose four congressional seats in 2030, on top of the seat it lost in 2021, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. That would diminish, not only the state’s share of federal dollars, but also its political influence in Washington, D.C.
Continued population declines could also have political ramifications within California.
“Places like the Inland Empire are not losing population as fast as places like L.A. County or the Bay Area,” political analyst Paul Mitchell told the Los Angeles Times. As the Times notes, that means funding and political clout could shift away from cities toward the Inland Empire and Central Valley instead.
Read more about California’s population shift here.