San Francisco's population faces slight decline
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
California's fastest-growing counties are in the state's inland and rural areas, while some of its biggest metro areas are experiencing the largest population declines, per an Axios analysis of the latest census data.
Why it matters: The zoomed-in analysis offers a close look at population change within individual states.
Driving the news: San Francisco County's population fell by 33,723 people from 2014-2018 to 2019-2023, or a change of 3.9%.
- Sacramento County grew by 4.9% during that same time, while Los Angeles County's population shrunk by 2.5%.
- San Diego County's population shrunk by 20,051 or a change of 0.6%.
The intrigue: California's shifts vary from what's occurring in states that are seeing growth near big cities.
- Texas, for instance, is experiencing huge increases around major cities while rural counties are shrinking.
Threat level: Some of the nation's fastest-growing counties, including those in California, are also among the most vulnerable to climate change.
- Alpine (+47.9% more people in 2019-2023 compared to 2014-2018) and Trinity counties (+23.5%) — which saw the biggest population booms — are both extremely vulnerable to wildfires, per the state's wildfire risk map.
- One exception to that trend is Butte County, which saw a 7.8% population decrease. The county is home to Paradise, the town that was destroyed in 2018 by the state's deadliest and most destructive wildfire.
Between the lines: Although Americans sometimes relocate domestically in search of better jobs and lower costs, international migration is the main driver behind population growth at the national level.
What's next: Population trends could be notably affected by President-elect Trump's plan to deport millions of people