The Golden State’s Population Rebound: California’s Demographic Revival
After years of decline, California’s population is finally on the rise again. According to estimates released by the LA News Center, the state gained over 67,000 residents in 2023, marking a 0.17% increase. This modest growth reverses a three-year trend of population loss that had resulted in California losing a congressional seat in 2020.
Reasons for the Population Decline
The Newsom administration attributed the previous population decline to a combination of factors, including:
- Elevated mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Declining birth rates
- Slowdown in legal immigration due to pandemic restrictions and stricter policies under the Trump administration
Critics’ Perspectives
However, critics pointed to a surge in residents leaving California for other states, citing reasons such as:
- Higher taxes
- Growing homeless population
- Housing shortage
Reversal of the Exodus
While more individuals continued to leave California in 2023 than moved in, the net outflow was significantly reduced compared to previous years. In 2021, California lost over 355,000 people due to domestic migration.
Factors Contributing to Growth
The LA News Center attributed the population rebound to:
- Resolution of immigration processing backlogs
- Return of mortality rates to pre-pandemic levels
Projected Growth
In 2019, California was poised to surpass the 40 million population mark. However, the population decline prevented this milestone from being reached. The LA News Center’s estimates suggest that the state’s population is approaching 39.1 million, and it is projected to continue growing.
Methodology of Population Estimation
The LA News Center bases its population estimates on various data sources:
- Birth and death records
- Driver’s license address changes
- Vehicle registrations
- Enrollment in Medicaid and Medicare
These estimates differ slightly from U.S. Census Bureau data released in December, which showed California’s population to be 38.9 million as of July 2023. The state’s estimates are higher due to the inclusion of more up-to-date information from driver’s licenses and tax filings.
Data sourced from: ktla.com
