FACT: California’s population increased…again
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Oct 22, 2026

FACT: California's population increased…again

What you need to know: California's population increased again, marking the third consecutive year of growth and signaling a continued return to long-term demographic stability.

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Department of Finance released its annual July population estimates showing that California's population grew to 39,529,000.

With intention, people continue to choose California as their home for a reason, it offers a unique mix of opportunities and advantages that's hard to find anywhere else. From the world's fourth-largest economy, unmatched universities and research hubs, leadership in innovation, and thriving global industries ranging from entertainment, agriculture, technology and clean energy, California dominates across sectors. Add to that the state's variety of landscapes, from coastal beaches to mountain ranges, deserts, and forests.

Three years of population growth tells a simple message: California is still the place people choose. This state believes in progress, opportunity, and doing the hard work. For millions of Californians, leaving simply isn't worth giving that up.

Governor Gavin Newsom

Separating Fact from Myth

After two pandemic-era declines, California has now seen three straight years of population growth. International immigration contributed an estimated 126,000 people to California's population in 2024 to 2025. While this remains a significant driver of growth, it is roughly half the level seen the previous year, reflecting federal restrictions on legal immigration. Birth population increase added 108,300 people, as births remained stable.

Since 2019, property crime, arson, burglary, and robbery have all decreased in California. Burglary rate decreased 18.8% from 2019 to 2024, the largest decrease of all categories. During that same time period, property crime rate decreased 9.1%, arson rate decreased 8.7%, and robbery rate decreased 9.6%.

Additionally, after a COVID-era spike in violent crime across the country, from 2023 to 2024, California's:
  • Violent Crime Rate: ↓ Decreased 6%
  • Property Crime Rate: ↓ Decreased 8.4%
  • Homicide Rate: ↓ Decreased 10.4%
  • Aggravated Assault Rate: ↓ Decreased 6.5%
  • Motor Vehicle Theft Rate: ↓ Decreased 15.2%
  • Burglary Rate: ↓ Decreased 9.1%
  • Robbery Rate: ↓ Decreased 6.3%

According to CDC data from 2023, the latest year available for all states, Mississippi's homicide rate was 280% higher than California's, Alabama's was 190% higher, Oklahoma's was 47% higher, and Arkansas' was 122% higher.
  • Mississippi = worst homicide rate of any state in 2023
  • Louisiana = 2nd worst homicide rate of any state in 2023
  • Alabama = 3rd worst homicide rate of any state in 2023
  • Tennessee = 5th worst homicide rate of any state in 2023
  • Arkansas = 6th worst homicide rate of any state in 2023 (tied with South Carolina)
  • Oklahoma = 20th worst homicide rate of any state in 2023

California's overall state and local taxes are near the national average for most families – and often lower than in Florida and Texas for lower and moderate income households.

More on The Californer
Key findings from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy brief: "Is California Really a High-Tax State?"
  • California taxes are close to the national average for families in the bottom 80 percent of the income scale.
  • For the bottom 40 percent of families, California taxes are lower than states like Florida and Texas.
  • The highest earners usually pay higher taxes in California, but their effective tax rates are similar to what low-income families pay in many other states.
  • 16 states — including Florida, Tennessee, and Texas — tax their poorest residents at rates higher than what California applies to its richest.

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