In this Dec. 7, 2020, file photo, a person wearing a protective mask walks in front of the skyline on Bernal Heights Hill during the coronavirus pandemic in San Francisco. California's population has declined for the first time in its history. State officials announced Friday, May 7, 2021, that the nation's most populous state lost 182,083 people in 2020. California's population is now just under 39.5 million. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
By Adam Beam
California’s population fell by more than 182,000 people in 2020, marking the first year-over-year loss ever recorded for the nation’s most populous state.
State officials announced Friday that California’s population dipped 0.46% to just under 39.5 million people from January 2020 to January 2021.
The news comes one week after the U.S. Census Bureau announced a paltry population growth for California, resulting in the state losing a congressional seat for the first time because it grew more slowly than other states over the past decade.
But the census numbers reflect the state’s population in April 2020. The new state numbers released Friday reflect the state’s population as of January 2021.
California became a state in 1850 on the heels of a gold rush that prompted people to seek their fortune out west. The population soared following World War II with the help of a robust defense and aerospace industry. It boomed again in the 1980s and 1990s as technology companies put Silicon Valley on the map.
But the growth slowed after the end of the Cold War in the 1990s when the federal government cut back on defense spending and again in the years before the Great Recession in the late 2000s.
State officials say California has seen more people leave than move in from other states for much of the last three decades. However, that had been offset by international immigration and births so that California continued to grow.
That changed in 2020. State officials say a declining birth rate, plus reductions in international immigration and an increase in deaths because of the coronavirus, led to the state's first-ever year-over-year population loss.
California had a negative international migration in 2020, which state officials say was a direct impact from the Trump administration's decision to stop issuing new visas for much of that year. Coronavirus restrictions around the world also caused about a 29% decline in international students coming to California or about 53,000 people.
Plus, about 51,000 people died from the coronavirus in California last year. That's a 19% increase above the state's average death rate for the past three years. In all, 51 of the state's 58 counties posted death rates above the three-year average — including 12 that had increases of 20% or more.
In a news release, the California Department of Finance said it expects the state to return to a “slightly positive annual growth” for the 2021 calendar year. Those numbers will be released next May.
The state's population has become a political issue this year in light of the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, with Republicans blaming high taxes and the governor's policies for people fleeing the state. From 2010 to 2020, about 6.1 million people left California for other states compared to about 4.9 million people who moved to California from other states, according to an analysis of census data by the Public Policy Institute of California.
The Department of Finances population estimate comes from a number of sources, including birth and death counts, the number of new driver's licenses and address changes, school enrollments, and federal tax returns.
Protests across the country continued all weekend following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse. A jury found the 18-year-old not guilty of all five felony charges. Rittenhouse was accused of killing two people and wounding another during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year. Jaha Howard, political strategist and civil rights advocate, joins Cheddar News to breakdown the verdict.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Yair Nechmad, Nayax CEO, discusses the future of cashless payments, and how cashless payments give retailers a competitive edge and allow merchants to scale business; Jason Thomas, Global CEO of Tappit, breaks down how the pandemic accelerated the transition to cash-free live events, and why that trend is here to stay; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Steam's 'Blockchain Revolution.'
With Thanksgiving two days away, the USDA is reminding hosts of the importance of food safety. Karen Hunter, Food Safety Expert, USDA, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the best food handling and leftover tips ahead of the holiday.
With millions of Americans set to host Thanksgiving this year, shoppers can expect to pay more at grocery stores, with the price of a thanksgiving meal up 14% from last year. According to the USDA, the average price of an 8- to 16-pound frozen turkey is up 21% from a year ago. Jay Jandrain, CEO, Butterball, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to discuss how his company is being affected by supply chain challenges and rising prices.
Jill and Carlo are a bit delayed today on account of Carlo's internet not working. Better late than never, they discuss what we know about the suspect in the Christmas parade crash, closing arguments in the Arbery killing trial, and more.
If you’ve ever watched a show or movie where a character is unconscious for some reason - drowning, electrocution, stabbed in a knife fight - you probably know what to expect next. Some hero will come perform what looks like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a minute or two, perhaps in slow motion, and definitely with a dramatic musical score. And bing, bang, boom, the unconscious character miraculously comes back to life.
If you’ve ever suspected that this is a gross exaggeration of the efficacy of CPR, well, you’re right. But exactly how wrong Hollywood gets CPR is hilarious at best and downright dangerous at worst.
Brianna Wright, Senior Consumer Research Specialist at LendingTree, joins Cheddar to discuss how much Americans are expected to spend on Thanksgiving this year, and how millennials and gen-zers are taking over the holiday.
Special Olympics and WWE are announcing a three-year partnership extension of their global partnership to help create inclusion through sports. Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics and WWE superstar and Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Drew McIntyre join Cheddar News to talk about the announcement.
Gparency, a company that says its mission is to revolutionize the commercial mortgage industry, raised $15 million in its first funding round - representing the largest ever seed round in the commercial real estate space. Gparency's service will allow landlords and real estate developers to receive funding directly from banks, without the need for a mortgage broker. The company says its new approach will give power back to the consumer. Gparency founder and CEO Ira Zlotowitz joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
