A grim new report discovered California misplaced greater than 50,000 residents final yr, leaving Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officers speaking out of either side of their mouths on which course the state is headed.
On Friday, the state’s Division of Finance issued a defensive press launch blaming a “full yr of restrictive federal coverage modifications” on authorized worldwide migration, which slashed California’s inhabitants progress by greater than half. The company dismissed the lack of tens of hundreds of individuals as a “slight” inhabitants drop that represented lower than one-seventh of 1%.
However on Friday night, Newsom appeared on HBO’s “Actual Time with Invoice Maher” and claimed the state is definitely rising.
“We’ve additionally seen the final three yr inhabitants progress — we’ve bought to replace our speaking factors,” Newsom instructed Maher.
Certainly we do.
Critics of California’s governor had been fast to tear Newsom for what they’re calling a coordinated effort to deflect blame.
Steve Hilton, a former Fox Information host and main Republican candidate for governor, tore into the governor’s HBO look.
“This reveals that Newsom was blatantly mendacity to Invoice Maher on Friday evening, when he claimed California’s inhabitants was truly rising,” Hilton stated. “His personal statistics present the alternative!”
Authorized worldwide migration plunged from 248,400 individuals in 2024 — the best degree since 2018 — to only 126,400 in 2025, a drop of greater than 50%, in keeping with the state’s Division of Finance.
State officers pressured that absent federal coverage modifications on immigration, California’s inhabitants would have truly grown by 66,000 individuals.
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“Internet authorized worldwide migration has been a big driver of California’s total inhabitants, offsetting declines in pure enhance — the online variety of births and deaths — and internet home migration from California,” officers stated in Friday’s press launch.
Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Celebration, instructed The Publish that Newsom and state officers are as soon as once more specializing in the mistaken issues.
“Californians usually are not leaving as a result of Washington lastly began implementing the legislation,” Rankin stated in a textual content message. “They’re leaving as a result of Sacramento made this state too costly, too unsafe, and too exhausting to construct a future.”
4 of the state’s 10 greatest cities — together with Los Angeles at No. 1 — noticed their populations decline final yr, with the Metropolis of Angels (3.8 million individuals) seeing a 0.9% lower in residents. Los Angeles County (9.8 million) additionally noticed a 0.6% decline to say the highest spot amongst declining counties.
Total, the state’s ten largest counties — residence to 72% of Californians — misplaced a mixed 52,000 residents.
“Gavin Newsom is simply shedding his thoughts as a result of President Trump is taking away his greatest supporters,” Nick Poche, a spokesperson for the Republican Nationwide Committee, quippped to The Publish.
One of many greatest drivers in pushing individuals out of the state is the price of housing.
Friday’s report discovered that California added simply 115,165 housing models in 2025 — a 0.77% enhance and down from 0.84% progress the prior yr.
A notable share of latest properties final yr got here from accent dwelling models (ADUs) with 29,710 models, which is hardly the way in which to construct out of a disaster. Nonetheless, even these good points had been partially worn out by wildfires, which eradicated 11,160 misplaced within the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Hilton famous that the 115,000-plus new housing models was lower than half of Newsom’s aim for the yr.
“Now they’re bragging about hitting lower than half their aim — it’s failure on each entrance,” Hilton stated.
“That is probably the most superb place anyplace within the nation — and but individuals simply can’t afford to stay right here, and so they can’t take the crime, chaos and homelessness anymore. That’s why we’ve bought to vote for change in November.”
Positive aspects in inhabitants that did happen had been largely inland. Sacramento County added 9,000 residents, and areas like Riverside and San Bernardino continued to see modest progress, extending a years-long shift of Californians shifting to extra reasonably priced areas.
Placer County posted the quickest progress charge at 1.39%, adopted by Yuba County (1.24%) and San Benito County (0.69%). On the metropolis degree, six of the state’s ten largest cities grew modestly, led by Sacramento climbing 1.3% (6,809 individuals) and San Diego including 10,102 residents for a 0.7% progress charge.
Statewide, 148 cities gained inhabitants whereas 333 misplaced residents.
