California’s big cities are slowly bouncing back, new population data show

California’s population increased for the second consecutive year, with much of the growth coming to the state’s biggest cities, according to new data from the California Department of Finance released Thursday.

The latest numbers for calendar year 2024 confirm the end of the so-called California exodus that saw the Golden State’s population shrink for the first time in decades.

Seven of the state’s 10 largest cities recorded population growth as they bounced back from the pandemic-era shrinking, which hit hardest in most of the state’s urban centers.

By the end of 2024, the state’s population nearly eclipsed its pre-pandemic peak, but was still around 9,000 people short of the previous high-water mark from April 2020, reflecting slow growth in the years since then.

From April 2020 to January 2022, the state lost some 360,000 residents, according to data from the California Department of Finance. California added about 108,000 people in 2024 after adding nearly 200,000 in 2023. If growth continues, the state should eclipse its pre-pandemic population figure in 2025.

“People from across the nation and the globe are coming to the Golden State to pursue the California Dream, where rights are protected and people are respected,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “As the fourth largest economy in the world — from the Inland Empire to the Bay Area — regions throughout California are growing, strengthening local communities and boosting our state’s future.”

“We’ll continue to cut tape, invest in people, and seek real results from government to ensure we build on this momentum — all of which are at risk with the extreme and uncertain tariffs,” Newsom said.

The biggest population winners were Bakersfield, which grew by 1.2% in 2024, and San Diego, which grew by 1%. Los Angeles grew by 0.4%.

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In the Bay Area, San Jose and San Francisco saw their populations contract slightly — each by less than half a percentage point. Anaheim was among the state’s three major cities to lose people in 2023.

Natural increase, or the difference between births and deaths, was responsible for a gain of 114,805 people in 2024, but the state’s population increased by only 108,000 overall. The difference is explained by net migration out of California of around 7,000 people.

Over the past few years, California has recorded more people leaving for other states like Texas and Arizona than it gains from internal migration. International immigrants, who now mostly come from Asia, bolster the state’s population against loss from those who leave for other states.

On the housing front, the state’s slow growth continued: Housing grew at 0.84% in 2024, a similar figure to 2023, which lagged many other states. One in five new homes built in 2024 within California were Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs.

ADU production has increased by over 10% in each of the last two years, and with each passing year ADUs comprise a larger fraction of new housing built in the state.