California

Key Details

• California remains the US' most inhabited state in 2023, with a population of 38,965,193
• In 2024, California had 14,392,140 housing units, of which 6.3% were reported vacant. The average household size was 2.82.
• 84.7% of Californians over 25 have at least completed high school or equivalent educational attainment, and 37% have completed a bachelor's degree or higher.
• The 2024 Governor of California is Gavin Newsom of the Democratic Party.
• Adjusted to 2022 inflation, California's median household income is $91,551, which is higher than the national average.
• California's life expectancy at birth is 79 years.

California Population Demographics

California is the most populated state in the US, beating out Texas by over 8 million residents. Hispanic and White residents comprise the largest population shares at 39.4% and 34.7%, respectively.

At the smaller end of racial demographics, the Black population is 5.36%, and Asians are 15.12%. These population readings make California the second most racially diverse state, with a Diversity Index of 69.7%.

By gender, the state is split 50.08% male and 49.92% female. This evenness disappears in older populations. The gender ratio switches to a female-led population at the 55–59-year benchmark, with the male population further decreasing with age.

California also boasts the highest immigrant population in the country. The Golden State has 10.4 million immigrant residents, composing 23% of the country's foreign-born people.

Elections and Voting

California is a two-party state with realistic candidates coming from either the Democratic or Republican parties. The state's last non-party governor was Hiram Johnson in 1917, who only became a Progressive halfway through his term.

California's most famous governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was the last Republican candidate sworn into the office. Since he left in 2011, the post has been Democrat-controlled by Edmund G. Brown Jr. (2011-2019) and Gavin Newsom (2019-present).

The other two key state government offices, the President of the State Senate and State Speaker of the House are also from the blue party. None of these posts has had a Republican representative since 2011, creating 14 consecutive years of a Democratic trifecta.

On the national level, there's slightly more Republican presence, but not much. Both standing California Senate representatives are Democrats as well as 40 of the 52 US House members.

California's voting patterns in presidential elections show similar political leanings. In the past three elections (2020, 2016, and 2012), over 60% of voters chose the Democrat candidate. The highest Republican turnout of this century was in 2004, with 44.4% of people voting red.

Housing, Income, and Employment

There are 14,392,140 housing units in California, with over 900,000 reported vacancies. Most of these are one—or two-person households, as only 44.7% of the housing units house three or more people.

California housing costs have historically been higher than the national average. Even bottom-tier houses cost more than mid-tier houses in other states.

In the US, a mid-tier home costs roughly $350,000; however, mid-tier homes in California clock in at $750,000, while bottom-tier homes are nearly $500,000.

Rising housing costs are a problem because they exceed the state's median household income. The household income required to qualify for a mid-tier home mortgage was $235,000, which is significantly more than double the state's actual median household income of $91,551.

The discrepancies between income and homeownership have led to California's strong renting culture. However, even renting is less financially viable in California than in other states.

In 2021, California had the highest unemployment rate in the US, at 6.9%, compared to the 4.2% national average. The state still has an above-average unemployment rate, hovering between 5.2 and 5.3%, but the difference has closed considerably.

California Crime Rates

In 2022, California's violent crime rate increased to 495 crimes per 100,000 residents. This ratio is far higher than the 369.8 per 100,000 national average. Within this category, armed robbery and aggravated assault cases increased, but homicides saw a downward trend.

The California violent crime breakdown is as follows:

• Aggravated Assault – 67%
• Robberies – 25%
• Rape – 7%
• Homicide – 1%

Property crime rates are also a notable issue in California, with 2,314 crimes per 100,000 residents. These offenses include auto theft (up 1.6%), burglary (up 5.8%), and larceny (up 7.7%).

The San Joaquin Valley holds the highest violent crime rate. There were 641 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, which, surprisingly, represented a decrease from the previous year. There were also significantly fewer property crimes in this county.

The fewest violent crimes occurred along the southern coast in the Imperial, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura Counties.

How to Find People in California

The combination of social media and public records makes locating people simple. Online search tools scour billions of government documents, Twitter posts, professional profiles, and more to uncover a person's basic information.

These tools can accurately identify an individual's address history, creating a map of their last residences. You can easily find a lost relative, old roommate, or childhood friend. It's also great for finding people for legal matters.

Now, the information train doesn't stop at nailing down a person's address. It also pulls up a list of their social and professional profiles. You can see what they're up to and have avenues to reach out through phone, email, or messaging apps.

Interesting Facts About California