California Exodus Continues as Immigration Masks Population Decline

California’s population is increasing once again, but the growth is not being driven by Americans moving in.

According to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, the state’s modest 0.6% population growth in 2024 was entirely fueled by international immigration, even as nearly a quarter-million residents left for other states.

In 2024, approximately 240,000 Californians moved out, continuing a trend that has defined the state’s demographic shifts over the past several years.

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This follows the 2023 departure of roughly 344,000 residents, marking a sustained outflow of domestic migrants.

Despite this, California’s population still grew due to the arrival of over 361,000 immigrants last year.

Immigration is the only thing propping up California’s population.

In 2024, ~360,000 immigrants moved to California while 240,000 Americans moved out. In other words, they’re importing people from other countries to replace the Americans leaving California.

We all know why… pic.twitter.com/G0783tnXfr

— Doge from Wall Street (@DOGEfromWS) May 25, 2025

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The state’s ongoing population change comes amid high dissatisfaction among residents with the cost of living.

A 2024 Emerson College poll found that 56% of Californians have considered relocating.

A recent Emerson College poll underscores the economic concerns dominating the minds of California voters as Election Day approaches, revealing that more than half have contemplated leaving the state due to escalating living costs.
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Read More: https://t.co/sebq15y2fN pic.twitter.com/WJB5jug3cX

— The Epoch Times—Southern California (@EpochSoCal) October 17, 2024

Contributing factors include a median home price surpassing $900,000—more than double the national average—as well as high utility and fuel costs.

The first recorded population decline in California’s history occurred in 2020, when over 477,000 people left the state.

That shift cost California one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives during congressional reapportionment.

Although the state has returned to growth, it is immigration — not domestic migration — that is accounting for the increase.

A significant portion of California’s new residents arrived through the federal H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialized fields.

Nearly 79,000 workers entered California through this channel in 2024, though that figure represented a 25% drop from the previous year.

The decline is attributed to increased application fees and expectations that the Trump administration may soon impose tighter restrictions on employment-based immigration.

The H-1B program has sparked renewed political debate. Figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have defended the program, arguing it supports innovation and fills labor shortages.

Critics within the Republican Party, however, say the program suppresses wages and displaces American workers by incentivizing companies to hire lower-cost foreign labor.

Immigration-driven population growth is not limited to California. In 2023, 38 states and Washington, D.C., saw immigration outpace domestic migration, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In 16 states, immigration was the only source of population growth.

California continues to have the largest foreign-born population of any state.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, more than 25% of the state’s residents were born outside the United States.

The Pew Research Center reports that, as of 2022, approximately 17% of the state’s immigrant population is in the country illegally.

While immigration has helped stabilize population numbers, the influx presents significant financial challenges.

California is currently facing a $45 billion budget deficit.

Programs such as Medi-Cal, which now provide healthcare coverage to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, are expected to cost state taxpayers $8.4 billion during the 2024–2025 fiscal year.

Newsom proposes cutting free healthcare for illegals as California faces a nearly $12 billion deficit

Gavin Newsom took responsibility for his terrible decision to provide free healthcare for illegals which caused his state to face a massive deficit.

Jk… He blamed Trump pic.twitter.com/0JifavHA79

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 15, 2025

As more residents continue to leave the state and international immigration fills the gap, California’s shifting demographic profile raises questions about long-term economic sustainability, state-funded services, and the balance between federal and state immigration policy.

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