California’s population grew this year by nearly a quarter of a million residents, closing in on record-high population levels the Golden State reached before the pandemic, the US Census Bureau reported Thursday. Data showed the state is growing more slowly than the country as a whole and other large states in the South. “As the nation’s population surpasses 340 million, this is the fastest annual population growth the nation has seen since 2001,” the US Census Bureau wrote in a statement Thursday. “The growth was primarily driven by rising net international migration.” After consistent population growth through the 2010s, California’s population peaked at 39,556,000, according to the 2020 decennial census, before losing nearly 1% of its population by July 1, 2021, amid pandemic restrictions. Between 2020 and 2022, the California exodus had significant impacts on the state. In 2021, the state lost one congressional representative, dropping to 52 seats from 53 in the House of Representatives, and the state had one fewer electoral college vote in 2024 than in 2020. Critics of the state’s leadership point to crime rates, high taxes and high property costs as reasons for residents fleeing to other less regulated states, like Texas and Florida. The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2024 population estimates show California’s population on July 1, 2024 was 39,431,000, an increase of 233,000 from the year before, and just 125,000 short of the 2020 high point. For Jeff Bellisario, executive director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, there are two ways to look at the new data. “There’s the optimistic look that in the past year, we have seen the population increase… bigger increases than we have in a decade, so I do think there is some truth to the narrative of folks coming back to California,” he said. On the other hand, California is still far behind the population gains made in states like Florida and Texas. “We are still trying to claw back to where we were pre-pandemic,” Bellisario said. “It’s going to take us a few more years to get to solid population growth numbers.” California had the third most new residents, with the population growing by about 0.59%. Florida and Texas saw more new residents, and top the list of states with the largest increases by raw numbers. Related Articles Housing | Is the California ‘exodus’ over? Housing | California’s outmigration woes: No. 1 gap, No. 1 improvement Housing | Americans moving to California tumble to historic lows Housing | 127,542 fewer Californians departed last year, biggest dip in US Housing | Among 26 Southern California congressional districts, demographic data shows differences, similarities The District of Columbia had the largest percentage increase, with 2.2% more residents in 2024. Following Florida and Texas, Utah and South Carolina round out the list of places with the five largest percentage increases in their population, all with at least 1.7% more residents than 2023. Overall, the population of the entire country grew by about 0.9%, slightly outpacing California’s growth. Between the decennial census population counts, the agency releases estimates for July 1 of each year, using natural population change, like births and deaths, and then factoring in migration to calculate the estimates. And each year, the estimates for previous years in that decade are revised based on new information. According to the data on each component of change considered in the calculations, for the first time this year since 2020, California’s net migration returned to the positive, spurred by slight decreases in the number of residents the state loses to other states each year, and a continued increase in net international migration. The new census count affirms data released earlier this year from the California Department of Finance, which also showed the California exodus reversing. Data from the state’s demographics professionals estimated more residents on Jan. 1 2024 than the previous year, the first year of gains since before the pandemic. With this year’s update, the Census is catching up to what the state data already hinted at. Last year’s update showed that 2023 was another year with slight population decreases in California, but this year’s update revised the 2023 population, showing a slight increase from 2022 to 2023, making 2024 the second year of population growth for the state. Southern California News Group’s business stories that drew that most readers in the year. No. 1: Optum laying off 364 California healthcare workers, shuttering urgent cares No. 2: UCLA, UC Riverside students petition to remove Starbucks from campuses No. 3: Bass Pro Shops’ Outdoor World finally has an opening day No. 4: 99 Cents Only to close all 371 of its stores No. 5: 63 Albertsons in California to be sold to C&S Wholesale if Kroger merger OK’d No. 6: Northrop Grumman cutting as many as 1,000 jobs at Space Park in Redondo Beach No. 7: More shops, new restaurants coming to Brea Mall this summer No. 8: Temecula’s wine country hits baby boomer skid as more vineyard owners opt to sell No. 9: Vroman’s bookstores in Pasadena, Book Soup in LA are up for sale No. 10: Southwest Airlines to offer buyouts at LAX, Burbank, Long Beach and John Wayne No. 11: Pirch sued by American Express for $33M over disputed transactions No. 12: Video game maker Activision Blizzard laying off 400 workers in Irvine, LA