The population crisis hiding in California's suburbs
Summary
California is losing people in many of its suburban areas, especially those near big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. This population change is linked to problems like expensive housing and may affect the state’s economy and political influence.Key Facts
- Between 2021 and 2025, 52 out of 177 California cities with 50,000 or more residents lost population every year.
- Seven of the 10 fastest-shrinking cities are suburbs in Los Angeles County; three others are Bay Area suburbs.
- San Francisco lost over 52,000 residents since 2020, a 6% drop.
- Many shrinking suburbs have large Latino and Asian American communities.
- The main reasons seem connected to housing affordability, pushing people away from middle-class suburbs.
- Some inland cities like Lathrop and Menifee are growing, showing growth in California’s outer edges.
- Population loss affects local services like schools, job markets, tax revenue, and political representation.
- Nationally, fast population growth is happening in outer suburbs of Sunbelt cities, but California’s inner suburbs are mostly shrinking.
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