United States · state

California population 2026

Q: What is the population of California in 2026?

The latest official figure is 39,355,309, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, California would have about 39.3 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

California has 39,355,309 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 9,465 fewer than a year earlier (−0.02%). It is the most populous of the US’s 50 states and DC, home to 11.5% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 39.3 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

California in numbers

Population: 39.4 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: −0.02% −9,465 people
Change since 2020: −0.44% from 39.5 million
Share of the US: 11.5% Largest of 50 states and DC
Population density: 98per km² 403,673 km²
Births in the year: 399 thousand deaths: 289 thousand
International migration: +109 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: −229 thousand more people left than moved in

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 109,715, 109,278 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 229,077 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

That is about as many people as Ukraine (39.5 million).

Population of California by year

39.4M

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	37,319,550
2011	37,636,311
2012	37,944,551
2013	38,253,768
2014	38,586,706
2015	38,904,296
2016	39,149,186
2017	39,337,785
2018	39,437,463
2019	39,437,610
2020	39,527,808
2021	39,152,927
2022	39,125,347
2023	39,181,667
2024	39,364,774
2025	39,355,309

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	39,355,309	−9,465	−0.02%
2024	39,364,774	+183,107	+0.47%
2023	39,181,667	+56,320	+0.14%
2022	39,125,347	−27,580	−0.07%
2021	39,152,927	−374,881	−0.95%
2020	39,527,808	+90,198	+0.23%
2019	39,437,610	+147	+0.00%
2018	39,437,463	+99,678	+0.25%
2017	39,337,785	+188,599	+0.48%
2016	39,149,186	+244,890	+0.63%
2015	38,904,296	+317,590	+0.82%
2014	38,586,706	+332,938	+0.87%
2013	38,253,768	+309,217	+0.81%
2012	37,944,551	+308,240	+0.82%
2011	37,636,311	+316,761	+0.85%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

California among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in California

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Los Angeles3,820,914
San Diego1,404,452
San Jose997,368
San Francisco827,526
Fresno542,107
Sacramento524,943

Air quality in California today

Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.

Los Angeles San Diego San Jose San Francisco

Questions

What is the population of California in 2026?

The latest official figure is 39,355,309, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, California would have about 39.3 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is California’s population growing or shrinking?

It shrank by 9,465 people (−0.02%) in the latest year, and has changed −0.44% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 109,715, 109,278 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 229,077 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

How does California rank in the US?

California is the most populous of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 11.5% of the people.

What is the population density of California?

About 98 people per km², on 403,673 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in California?

Los Angeles, with about 3.8 million people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: California population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/california/

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