California Population Grows for First Time Since Pandemic Began.

California's population has grown for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with a 0.17% increase to 39.13 million people. The growth is attributed to decreased mortality rates and an increase in legal immigration. The majority of the population growth was concentrated in the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Inland Empire near coastal Southern California. The state's economy is heavily reliant on its highest-earning residents and its immigrant workforce, with almost half of income tax collections coming from the top 1% of earners and over 50% of workers being immigrants or children of immigrants. The increase in population was accompanied by an increase in housing units statewide. However, despite the recent growth, California's population is still below pre-pandemic levels, resulting in the loss of a House seat in Congress. [Extracted from the article]

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