In recent years, California has grappled with rampant homelessness, drug addiction and a sky-high cost of living that have forced residents to leave in droves to Arizona, Texas and further afield.
Now it appears Golden State is rebounding.
California welcomed some 67,000 residents last year, its first gain since 2019, according to an estimate from the state Department of Finance.
That ends the population decline that has held back Gov. Gavin Newsom — widely seen as a future Democratic presidential candidate — for much of his term.
California welcomed some 67,000 residents last year and crowds gathered on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Housing construction has resumed in California, but costs remain well above the national average
This slight increase represents only a growth rate of 0.17 percent.
This is in no way a push.
But officials say it signals a return to steady population growth after years of Covid-19 disruption.
Newsom took a victory lap.
“People from all over the country and around the world come to the Golden State to pursue the California dream,” he said.
On the West Coast, they “can experience the success of the fifth largest economy in the world,” he added.
The increase in population is attributed to the increasing number of people immigrating to California from abroad.
Additionally, fewer people are dying from the coronavirus pandemic and fewer people are leaving California to live elsewhere, cheaper.
Legal immigration to California from other countries fell during the pandemic, due to stricter rules under then-President Donald Trump.
It rebounded in 2023 with a net gain of 114,200 people, close to pre-pandemic levels.
State officials called it a “stable foundation for continued growth.”
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom says people are coming back for the ‘California dream’
James Gallagher, the Republican leader of the state Assembly, says Newsom should stop ‘bragging’
But that growth will likely be much lower than in decades past, said Eric McGhee, an expert at the Public Policy Institute of California.
“It’s going to be better for the state in terms of total population,” McGhee said.
But California still risks losing “more congressional districts in the 2030 census,” he added.
In 2023, more people moved from California to other states than moved from other states to California, but it was far fewer than in previous years.
In 2021 — as coronavirus cases continued to rise and more people worked remotely — California lost a net 355,648 people to domestic migration.
Last year, that figure had fallen to 91,189, closer to pre-pandemic levels.
Still, Newsom’s critics say California isn’t out of the woods yet.
The state continues to suffer from a high cost of living, uncertain electricity supply, a housing and homelessness crisis, and widespread concerns about crime.
The return to population growth does not appear to be a resumption of the astonishing growth of the state in the 19th and 20th centuries.
“The governor who brags about it is a bit like the guy who lost thousands of dollars at the casino last night and brags about winning $20 at the blackjack table,” joked James Gallagher, the Republican leader. in the State Assembly.
California welcomed some 67,000 residents last year, its first gain since 2019
More people means more homeless: California has the worst rate of unhoused people of any US state
“I don’t understand why the governor and the Democratic supermajority continue to turn a blind eye to this issue.” They kind of act like everything is fine when there are a lot of problems.
Gas prices, utility bills and housing costs in California are among the highest in the country.
The state’s homeless problem has only gotten worse despite billions of dollars invested by lawmakers to address the problem.
California is also in the midst of back-to-back multibillion-dollar budget deficits.
Newsom’s efforts to lower the cost of living, including trying to reduce some medical expenses, are just a drop in the ocean.
Critics say California’s heyday is in the rearview mirror.
After joining the United States in 1850 following a gold rush, California was a demographic marvel for its first 169 years, increasing its population every year.
People have flocked to the Golden State for its stunning terrain, weather and far-reaching economy, which is larger than that of all but four countries.
That streak ended in 2020, when California lost population for the first time, during a pivotal census year that saw the state lose a congressional seat.
For a two-year period, Californians moving to Texas constituted the largest flow of people from state to state in America, according to census data.
The state’s population growth estimate appears at odds with recent Census Bureau figures.
The state’s estimate was based on several factors, including births and deaths, driver’s license address changes, vehicle registration and enrollment in government-funded health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare.
With agencies.
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