California Population On Verge Of 40 Million People
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) – Already the most populous state, California's population is on the verge of reaching 40 million people, according to new numbers by state officials.
According to population estimates released Tuesday by the State Department of Finance, the state added 309,000 residents in 2017, bringing the state's population to 39,810,000 as of January 1st, a gain of 0.78 percent.
The state reported the strongest population growth in the Bay Area, the Central Valley and Southern California. Los Angeles, the state's most populous city, grew by 33,000 people to 4.054 million, while San Diego, the state's second largest city, grew by 22,000 people to 1.42 million.
San Jose, the most populous city in the Bay Area and the third most populous in the state, added 8,500 people in 2017, bringing the population to 1.05 million. Meanwhile, San Francisco's population rose to nearly 884,000 after adding nearly 10,000 people last year. Oakland added about 1,300 people last year, which brought the population to 428,800.
While most Bay Area communities gained in population last year, Sonoma and Napa Counties were estimated to have lost population slightly due to last year's massive wildfires. The population in Napa County dropped by 500 people (0.3 percent), while the Sonoma County population dropped by 1,280 people (0.3 percent).
The Department of Finance also reported that the state added 85,000 housing units last year, bringing the total to 14,158,000. More than 13,200 housing units were demolished, with wildfires playing a role.
If California were its own country, it would be the 34th most populous, behind Algeria and ahead of Uganda, according to the CIA World Factbook.
Ten Most Populated Cities In California
1. Los Angeles – 4.054 million
2. San Diego – 1,419,845
3. San Jose – 1,051,316
4. San Francisco – 883,963
5. Fresno – 538,330
6. Sacramento – 501,344
7. Long Beach – 478,561
8. Oakland – 428,827
9. Bakersfield – 386,839
10. Anaheim – 357,084
Tim Fang is a digital producer for CBS San Francisco and a native of the Bay Area. Follow him on Twitter @fangtj.
