THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA 

Population Patterns

The population of California grew very fast in the second half of the 20th century. Much of the increase can be attributed to in-migration from other states and emigration from other countries. Many people were drawn to California to work in factories that were built during World War II (1939-1945); others settled there after seeing the state during military service; and many more moved to California because of its mild climate and style of living. More recently the population increase has come about because of immigration from other countries. More legal immigrants settle in California than any other state, and the state is also home to many people who came to the country without legal approval.

According to the 1990 national census, California had 29,760,021 inhabitants, more than any other state. That was an increase of 25.7 percent over the 1980 population and nearly 50 percent more than the population in 1970. The population estimate for 1999 was 33,145,121. In 1999 the average population density was 82 persons per sq km (213 per sq mi).

Most of the population is in southern California, the San Francisco Bay area, and, to a lesser extent, the Central Valley. California is the most urbanized state, with 93 percent of the people living in cities or towns in 1990. A majority of Californians live in just three metropolitan areas—Los Angeles-Long Beach, San Francisco-Oakland, and San Diego—on the coast. Large areas in the mountains and deserts of the north and east are sparsely inhabited.

Whites constitute the largest share of California's population, representing 69.1 percent of the people. Asians and Pacific Islanders were 9.6 percent of the people, blacks were 7.4 percent, Native Americans were 0.8 percent, and those of mixed heritage or not reporting ethnicity were 13.1 percent. Hispanics, who may be of any race, were 25.4 percent of the population.