Turns Out There’s A Catch To California’s Rosy Population Stats
California’s population is growing again, but not because Americans are moving in, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In 2024, nearly 240,000 Californians packed up and left the state, WSJ reported. The state’s population still rose by 0.6% overall because more than 361,000 immigrants arrived to take their place.
The exodus from the state is not a new phenomenon, as around 344,000 Californians left in 2023, while 292,000 international migrants arrived, the outlet reported.
About 56% of Californians have considered leaving the state due to the exorbitant cost of living, a 2024 Emerson College poll found. California’s median home price topped $900,000 in 2024 — well over double the national average — while utility and gas prices remain among the country’s highest.
The state’s population decreased for the first time in history in 2020, when over 477,000 Californians left, leading to the state losing a congressional seat. The population continued to decline until 2023, buoyed by an influx of international immigrants. (Read more from “Turns Out There’s A Catch To California’s Rosy Population Stats” HERE)
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
