California Sees First Population Growth Since 2020: Over 67,000 New Residents in 2023

California’s population grew for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the state’s Department of Finance, California’s population increased by just over 67,000 people in 2023, reaching a total of 39,128,162, the first such increase since 2020. The slight population growth was the result of several factors, said the Department of Finance, including a rebound in legal foreign immigration (a net gain of 114,200 in 2023, compared to only 90,300 in 2022), more people moving to the state, and fewer people moving out of the state.

Net migration from California in 2023 was reduced over two years to approximately one-quarter of the 2021 figure, according to the Department of Finance. Another factor was the natural increase in population (more births than deaths), with a net increase of 118,400 people, and the decline in the number of deaths from its pandemic peak. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 101,000 Californians have died from COVID-19.

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Significant Transitions in California Counties:

1. Overall Population Increases:
   
   • Population increases in 31 counties, primarily in:
     • Bay Area
     • Central Valley
     • Inland Empire
2. Counties with Populations Over 1 Million:
   
   • Nine of the ten counties with populations over 1 million saw population increases, representing 72% of the state’s total population.
   • Riverside County led with an increase of 13,800 people.
3. Counties with Growth Exceeding 1%:
   
   • Sutter: 1.9%
   • Imperial: 1.8%
   • Glenn: 1.4%
   • Yuba: 1.1%
   • San Benito: 1.1%
4. Next in Percentage Growth:
   
   • San Joaquin: 0.96%
   • Madera: 0.9%
   • Tulare: 0.9%
   • Monterey: 0.8%
   • Merced: 0.7%
5. Notable County Growth:
   
   • Los Angeles County grew by 0.05%
   • Orange County grew by 0.31%
6. Top Five Cities Where Housing Production Drove Population Growth:
   
   • Paradise in Butte County: 16.1%
   • Lathrop in San Joaquin County: 5.4%
   • Emeryville in Alameda County: 5%
   • Orland in Glenn County: 4.9%
   • Shafter in Kern County: 4.3%
7. County with the Highest Housing Growth:
   
   • Yuba County: 2%

California has also seen some growth in housing statewide, with an increase in the category of 0.79% in 2023 and a net increase of 115,933 housing units for a total of 14.8 million units in the state. “New construction represents 109,391 housing units with 55,242 single family housing units, 52,937 multi-family housing units, and 1,212 mobile homes,” according to the Department of Finance. “With immigration processing backlogs largely eliminated and deaths returning to long-term trends, a stable foundation for continued growth has returned. As net domestic migration has receded to its lower rates of the 2010s, California is likely to experience slower but positive growth for the near future.”