California is a large state on the west coast of the United States that is home to one of the world's most diverse populations. At the last official United States census carried out in 2020, the population of California was declared at 39,538,223 which makes the state the most populous by a wide margin over 2nd place Texas (29 million).
Much of the population is centered in several large cities. California contains the second largest city (Los Angeles), 3 of the largest 10 cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose), and the largest county (Los Angeles County) in the United States.
By 2030, the population is projected to surpass 42 million. Population growth has decreased in recent years, which may affect these projections.
California is the 3rd largest state by area, putting its population density at 251.3 per square mile, which ranks 11th in the country.
The median age in California is 36 years, with 50.3% of the population being female and 49.6% being male.
In religious terms, 63% of Californians associate with a Christian based faith, 9% are affiliated with non-Christian faiths, and have a rate of 27% unaffiliated individuals.
California has a healthy natural growth rate and the gap between the birth rate and death rate is quite significant. Between 2000 and 2009, 5,058,440 births and 2,179,958 deaths resulted in a natural growth of 3,090,016.
Another significant factor for the California population is immigration: California had huge appeal in the days of the Gold Rush and that fact holds true today. Between those years of 2000 and 2009, the state enjoyed a net migration gain of 306,925 people. It’s also been estimated that up to approximately 6.3% of California’s population is made up of illegal immigrants.
California is larger than all but 35 countries in the world. It is also the second most populous national sub-entity, behind only Sao Paulo of Brazil.
California was the 31st in line to be admitted as a State in 1850. The historical first census of this state is noted because California also conducted a state census in 1852 in addition to the federal census of 1850. Both results are included in the 1850 census publications. The federal census of 1850 is missing Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Santa Clara counties. They are included in the 1852 state census however.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of California was:
Increasing immigration has led to a diverse set of ethnic groups within California itself and at the 2010 Census, 57.6% of the population claimed to be white, while 40.1% were non-Hispanic white. 13% were Asian and 6.2% Black. The remaining ethnic groups consisted of Native American, Hispanic, Latino and others. These numbers had changed significantly by 2016, with estimates putting 73.2% of the population as white, 38.5% as non-Hispanic white, 14.4% Asian, and 6.5% black.
In 2014, estimates showed that the Latino and Hispanic population surpassed the population of non-Hispanic Whites. According to those estimates, taken in June 2014, 14.99 million Latinos resided in the state, compared to 14.92 whites. California has the largest minority population and the largest Hispanic population in the country.
The most populous state is also one of the most racially diverse, boasting the largest population of whites in the US, the largest number of Native Americans, and the fifth largest population of African Americans. The Asian population, which is approaching 5 million, makes up about one-third of the nation's total Asian American population.
1M
2M
3M
4M
5M
6M
7M
8M
9M
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 18,943,670 | 48.13% |
Other race | 6,389,002 | 16.23% |
Asian | 5,949,137 | 15.12% |
Two or more races | 5,327,000 | 13.54% |
Black or African American | 2,202,587 | 5.6% |
Native American | 394,188 | 1% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 150,531 | 0.38% |
White
Other race
Asian
Two or more races
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 13,315,800 | 2.89 | 55.6 | 44.4 |
Married | 6,545,790 | 3.57 | 69.1 | 30.9 |
Non Family | 4,222,120 | 1.37 | 41.9 | 58.1 |
Female | 1,717,460 | 3.7 | 42.4 | 57.6 |
Male | 830,462 | 3.59 | 46.4 | 53.6 |
3.47
Average Family Size
2.89
Average Household Size
55.6%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 1,844,410 | 6.87% |
Associates Degree | 2,136,260 | 7.96% |
Bachelors Degree | 5,935,290 | 22.11% |
Graduate Degree | 3,691,680 | 13.75% |
High School Graduate | 5,485,500 | 20.44% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 2,341,300 | 8.72% |
Some College | 5,408,260 | 20.15% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 10,731,900 | 10,233,300 | 4,947,880 |
Hispanic | 9,231,300 | 6,250,200 | 1,431,810 |
Asian | 4,378,710 | 3,883,760 | 2,413,750 |
Other Race | 3,935,640 | 2,478,670 | 476,852 |
2+ Races | 2,966,030 | 2,321,930 | 778,986 |
Black | 1,528,620 | 1,385,720 | 435,257 |
Native American | 262,915 | 193,975 | 43,754 |
Islander | 103,337 | 89,909 | 21,912 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.35%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 55.12%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $75,306 | $88,045 | $64,248 |
Graduate Degree | $105,279 | $125,685 | $90,230 |
High School Graduate | $38,446 | $44,409 | $31,750 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $29,750 | $34,360 | $22,879 |
Overall | $51,947 | $58,345 | $44,814 |
Some College | $46,575 | $55,538 | $39,406 |
$51,947
Average Earnings
$58,345
Average Male
$44,814
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
56.09% of California residents speak only English, while 43.91% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 28.24% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 15,361,700 | 2,314,440 | 15.07% |
White | 13,606,000 | 1,205,110 | 8.86% |
Other | 6,280,280 | 1,014,100 | 16.15% |
Multiple | 5,243,590 | 641,805 | 12.24% |
Asian | 5,862,510 | 577,140 | 9.84% |
Black | 2,109,820 | 401,368 | 19.02% |
Native | 384,392 | 61,782 | 16.07% |
Islander | 147,505 | 20,510 | 13.9% |
12.12%
Overall Poverty Rate
11.06%
Male Poverty Rate
13.18%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in California is Black, with 19.02% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in California is White, with 8.86% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.26%. Among those working part-time, it was 13.16%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.08%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 20.12% |
High School | 13.38% |
Some College | 9.68% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.89% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 25.39% |
Male Unemployed | 23.28% |
Female Employed | 5.94% |
Male Employed | 4.7% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $105,010 | $145,957 |
Households | $91,905 | $130,718 |
Married Families | $126,075 | $169,885 |
Non Families | $58,774 | $89,171 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
46.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
48.0%
Male Marriage Rate
45.1%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,415,560
Number of Veterans
1,291,190
Male Veterans
124,376
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 484,221 |
Second Gulf War | 334,207 |
First Gulf War | 286,454 |
Korea | 98,606 |
World War II | 31,952 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
75+ | 385,758 |
65 to 74 | 335,345 |
35 to 54 | 318,082 |
55 to 64 | 233,737 |
18 to 34 | 142,640 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 950,980 | 6.26% |
Hispanic | 266,747 | 2.41% |
Black | 133,583 | 7.73% |
2+ Races | 120,376 | 3.4% |
Asian | 106,273 | 2.19% |
Other Race | 84,013 | 1.79% |
Native American | 13,570 | 4.45% |
Islander | 6,767 | 5.75% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.69%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.74%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
63.8%
Labor Force Participation
59.3%
Employment Rate
6.4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
56.55%
Born in California
73.47%
Native Born
26.53%
Foreign Born
12.21%
Non Citizen
14.32%
Naturalized
73.47% of California residents were born in the United States, with 56.55% having been born in California. 12.21% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.