California’s Population Increases 1%

California’s population increased by 320,000 residents, or 1%, to 32.38 million people during 1996, state demographers said Monday in their annual population estimate.

Los Angeles County had the greatest numerical growth, up 44,200 residents to an estimated 9.4 million, but its rate of growth of 0.47% was half the statewide average.

California’s second- and third-most populous counties, San Diego and Orange, grew by 0.96% and 1.34%, respectively. That raised San Diego’s population to an estimated 2,694,900 residents and Orange’s to 2,649,800.

Ventura County’s population grew 0.29%, to 714,800.

On a percentage basis, remote Lassen County in northeastern California led the state with a 13.96% population increase to 32,650 residents.

But all of Lassen’s growth is attributed to the opening of the new High Desert State Prison in the fall of 1995, which increased the county’s inmate population from 5,748 in 1995 to 10,024 in 1996. Lassen’s non-prison population declined by an estimated 300 residents.

Statewide, more people continued to migrate from California than moved into the state--but by only a small margin--an estimated 16,150. That out-migration was overshadowed by natural population growth with births exceeding deaths by 336,150 between 1995 and 1996.

The statewide population loss due to migration is down from a high of 82,623 between 1992 and 1993, and demographers with the state Department of Finance predicted that net migration would be positive again by 1998.

Among the state’s fastest-growing counties on a percentage basis are Madera, up 3.67%; San Benito, 3.17%; Placer, 2.80%, and Imperial, 2.77%.

Thirteen of California’s 58 counties lost population, led by Yuba County, down 1,800 residents, or 2.89%, to an estimated 60,500.

The population figures are estimates, based on records such as driver’s licenses, school enrollments, employment records, tax filings and recorded births and deaths. The only actual person-by-person counts are conducted in the federal census once per decade.

Since the 1990 census, California’s population has increased by 2.44 million residents, with Los Angeles County leading with 494,400 new residents.

Over that six-year span, 57 of 58 counties increased in population, with Inyo staying even at an estimated 18,250.

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Southern California Growth

Here is how Southern California counties stacked up in population estimates released Monday by the state Department of Finance.

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Growth County July 1, 1995 July 1, 1996 Change Rate 1. Los Angeles 9,352,200 9,396,400 44,200 0.47% 2. San Diego 2,669,200 2,694,900 25,700 0.96% 3. Orange 2,614,800 2,649,800 35,000 1.34% 4. San Bernardino 1,581,600 1,592,600 11,000 0.70% 5. Riverside 1,370,300 1,393,300 23,000 1.68% 6. Ventura 712,700 714,800 2,100 0.29% 7. Santa Barbara 391,400 393,700 2,300 0.59% 8. Imperial 137,400 141,200 3,800 2.77%

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