California’s brief population bounce back has given way to further population declines, showing that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is relying on illegal immigration to stem the embarrassment of the California exodus.

According to U.S. census data, Los Angeles County lost a net total of 54,000 people from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025. Rob Pyers has compiled the county-by-county data, showing that California lost over 9,000 residents in 2025. California had been on a two-year population bounce back, gaining some 240,000 residents over 2023 and 2024 after losing over 400,000 over 2021 and 2022.