Published
3 years agoon
SACRAMENTO — California’s population has stalled at 39.9 million people as expensive housing prices and other factors convince more people to leave the state for other parts of the country.
An estimate released Friday showed California added 141,300 people from July 1, 2018, to July 1, 2019, bringing its total population to 39.96 million on July 1.
Yet the state’s growth has leveled off. It’s 0.35% growth rate for the 12 months ending July 1 is down from a 0.57% rate for the prior 12 months, the two slowest growth rates in recorded history.
State officials blamed the declining growth rate on an aging population combined with lower migration from foreign countries and more people leaving the state.
Los Angeles County lost 9,698 people, but remains the most populous county in the state — and the nation — at more than 10.2 million people.
Butte County lost 10,388 people, the largest percentage decrease in the state — a testament to the lingering effects of a 2018 fire in the town of Paradise that killed 85 people, destroyed more than 14,600 housing units and displaced an estimated 35,700 people.
Births continued to decline, falling by more than 9,000.
“I’m starting to get a sense that this is a trend,” Hunsinger said.
Still, official state estimates predict California will hit 50 million people by 2055, predicting by then the state will join Japan and European countries as having more deaths than births.
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