LOS ANGELES _ California's population growth in 2018 was the slowest in state history, a new study shows, as births declined, student enrollment fell and the death rate continued to climb as baby boomers aged.
The state added 186,807 residents last year, bringing California's estimated total population to 39,927,315 people as of Jan. 1, according to new population estimates released by the state Department of Finance on Wednesday.
The overall growth rate slipped to 0.47% last year from 0.78% in 2017, the slowest since data collection started in 1900, department spokesman H.D. Palmer said. Births in the state were down by more than 18,000 compared with the previous year.
"Growth in California has stalled out," said Dowell Myers, a professor of demography and urban planning at the University of Southern California. "That is pretty amazing "
Officials noted last May that California's population had grown by an average of 333,000 people a year since 2010.
Los Angeles County, still the largest county in the state, saw population growth fall to 0%, according to state officials. The number of residents dropped from 10,254,658 to 10,253,716 by the end of 2018. This is the first time since 2010 the population dropped in the county, according to state officials.
Myers said the slow growth was largely due to a lack of housing. A report earlier this year by a public policy think tank found that California's housing supply law hadn't triggered enough new home building to meet demand.
Myers said the housing crunch made it harder for younger residents to lay down roots. That is especially concerning as California's senior population continues to grow at a fast pace, affecting state budgeting and policy.
"Old people are holding in place, but we are losing the younger generation. We are losing potential parents," he said. "It is a slow-moving train wreck here."
Sacramento had the largest percentage gain in population among California's 10 biggest cities, with 1.49% growth _ or 7,400 new residents. Bakersfield grew by 1.1%, while the city of Los Angeles grew only 0.04%.
California added a net of 77,000 completed housing units in 2018. Total housing in the state reached 14.235 million units, a 0.6 percent increase, according to the Department of Finance. Los Angeles added the most housing units in 2018, with 16,525, while San Diego followed with 4,505.
Gov. Gavin Newsom also has pledged that 3.5 million new homes will be built in California by 2025.
A series of deadly wildfires last year also brought drastic demographic changes to some small cities in Northern California, according to the report.
The Camp fire in Butte County, the most destructive in state history, displaced 83% of the population of Paradise and destroyed almost 90% of the housing stock in the town, a loss of 11,371 units.
Nearby cities of Chico and Oroville each saw their populations increase by about 20% after the fires. Chico added more than19,000 residents and now has a population of 112,111, while Oroville added 3,682 for a total of 21,773 residents.
California's fires destroyed 14,600 housing units in Butte County, 900 units in Shasta County, 700 in Ventura County and 300 in Lake County.
