California is slowly regaining the 500,000 residents it lost since the pandemic, but it could take until 2030 for the state’s population to fully return to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Broadly covering the COVID-19 pandemic from April 2020 to July 2022, about 500,000 people died in California. according to Based on estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. However, during 2023 California gained approximately 67,000 residents, and the state’s population increased by 0.17%. according to In a report from the California Department of Treasury.
California’s January population was still about 410,000 people lower than its April 2020 population, according to state and federal data. If California’s population continues to grow by 67,000 people per year for the time being, it will return to its April 2020 level in about six years, or roughly 2030. (Related: California doesn’t know how much its homeless programs cost, audit finds)
However, the California Department of Treasury is not confident that the state’s population will continue to grow at the same pace as 2023. “California is likely to experience moderate but positive growth in the near future,” the agency’s population report states.
California’s population exodus has had a negative fiscal impact, with the state losing 158,000 taxpayers between 2020 and 2021. according to to the Tax Foundation. California is expected to run a $73 billion deficit in fiscal year 2024 due to decreased state revenue.
Cost of living is one of the most common reasons people quote When leaving the Golden State, 45% of respondents responded to the Public Policy Institute of California in 2023 poll He said he seriously considered leaving the state because of the high cost of housing. The median home sale price in California in March 2024 was $816,800. according to To Redfin.
When Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom ran for governor in 2017, he promised to help solve the state’s housing problem by increasing the number of housing units by 3.5 million by 2025. With an increase of just 589,626 homes, Newsom is far from achieving his promise. According to the California Department of Treasury, since taking office in 2019,
NEW: A report released today shows people are flocking to the Golden State from all over the country and around the world.
Our population is growing.
Last year, California’s population grew by more than 67,000 people, making it the world’s fifth-largest economy with more than 39 million people.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 30, 2024
Although some Americans continue to leave California, many of those moving to the state are foreign nationals.
“The state’s population growth can be attributed to increased legal foreign immigration and natural population growth.” according to In response to a press release sent by the California Governor’s Office to the Daily Caller News Foundation. California saw a net increase of 114,200 legal immigrants in 2023, according to the California Department of Treasury.
Former President Donald Trump is pledged If he returns to the Oval Office, it will be to tighten standards for legal immigration, which could complicate California’s future growth.
“People from across the country and around the world come to the Golden State to pursue the California dream and experience the success of the world’s fifth-largest economy,” Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom said. He emphasized that the state’s population growth rate is 0.17%.
The overall U.S. population grew by 0.5% in 2023, with the South accounting for most of the country’s population growth. according to To the Census Bureau.
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