Photo : NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC

California: population and ages

39,4 millions de people lived in California on 1 July 2025, by the US Census Bureau’s estimate.

Half of them were younger than 38,7 years. For the United States as a whole, the median age was 39,4.

Since 1 July 2020, the population has fallen by 0,4 %, or 172 499 people. The United States changed by +3,1 % in the same years.

  • Median age38,7
  • Under 1820,8 %
  • 65 and over17,5 %
  • Rank by population1 of 51
  • Change since 2020-0,4 %
Population pyramid, California, 1 July 2025HommesFemmes0102030405060708085+0250 k250 k500 k500 k
Population pyramid, California, 1 July 2025

You in California

Choose California as your state, next to the United States, in Your life and in the age tools: your age among the people who live there, and the generations they belong to.

Population, 2010 to 2025

Population on 1 July010 M20 M30 M40 M2010201520202025
2025 California: 39,4 M

Estimates for 2010 to 2019 are based on the 2010 census, those from 2020 on the 2020 census. The Census Bureau does not join the two series, so part of any step between 2019 and 2020 comes from the new base, not from a change in population.

Ages

In 2025, 20,8 % of the people in California were under 18 and 17,5 % were 65 or older. For the United States: 21,1 % and 18,9 %.

Median age on 1 July0,010,020,030,040,02010201520202025États-UnisCalifornia
2025 California: 38,7États-Unis: 39,4

Ages are counted up to 85 and over, and the median age is worked out from them.

States of a similar size
  1. California39,4 M
  2. Texas31,7 M
  3. Florida23,5 M
  4. New York20 M
  5. Pennsylvania13,1 M
  6. Illinois12,7 M
  7. Ohio11,9 M

Sources: US Census Bureau, Population Division, state population estimates by single year of age and sex (Vintage 2025 and Vintage 2020), public domain.