California's Major Cities Experience Population Exodus

California's population declined for the third year in a row, with 138,443 fewer people living in the state in 2022, primarily due to Californians moving to other states, a higher-than-normal death rate, a falling birthrate, and a drop in international migration. The growth in remote work has allowed more people to seek cheaper housing in other states, enticing high-income and highly educated Californians to join the net exodus. The state's population peaked at 39.6 million in January 2020, and it could be many years until it gets there again, if ever.