California saw a decline in its total population by 117,552, or 0.3%, in 2021, bringing the total population to 39,185,605. “The 0.3 percent drop represents a slowdown compared to the 0.59 percent drop in the nine-month period between the April 2020 Census date and the end of the year,” the state said in its annual population update. The state said the decline was a result of aging baby boomers, federal policies restricting immigration, COVID-19 deaths and an increase in people leaving the state. Of the state’s 58 counties, 38 saw a decline in population, including four Bay Area counties. In the list of counties with the 10 largest reductions, Plumas saw its population decline by 3.2%, Lassen 2.8%, Butte 2.4%, Del Norte 1.4%, Napa 1% , San Mateo 0.9%, Marin 0.9% and Shasta, San Francisco and Ventura fell 0.8%. The Central Valley and Inner Empire saw their populations grow, with each coastal county diving except for three college towns – San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz – where students returned to their dormitories. Only two counties saw population growth of more than 1%: Yolo jumped 1.8% due to students returning to dormitories at UC Davis and San Benito rose 1.1% due to new housing. At the height of the pandemic, there was a lot of talk about the so-called “California exit” – people fleeing Golden State’s high prices and fast pace for a more relaxed and affordable life in places like Bozeman, Montana and Austin. of Texas. Recent figures reveal that the state’s population has indeed shrunk. The San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley subway area saw the third-highest number of residents in the country gather and move between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021, with a net loss of 128,870 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. he said in March.
