Share of the population by age and sex, five-year groups

Population of California, 2010–2025 · click to pick a year
Estimates up to 2019 are built on the 2010 Census, those from 2020 on the 2020 Census. A line that steps up or down between 2019 and 2020 reflects this re-basing, not a sudden change in population.

Year

-5 -1   2012  +1 +5

37,944,551 people lived in California on July 1, 2012: the largest population among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The median age was 35.6 years (United States: 37.4); children under 15 (20.0%) clearly outnumber residents 65 and older (12.1%): a relatively young population. There were 98.7 men for every 100 women. Since 2010 the population has grown by 1.7%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2020 estimates (resident population on July 1; public domain). Median age, shares, dependency ratios and rankings are calculated by PopulationPyramid.net from these estimates; the Census Bureau does not endorse this site.

Key indicators, 2012
Population
37,944,551
Rank by population
1st of 51
Median age
35.6
Men per 100 women
98.7
Under 15
20.0%
15–64
67.9%
65 and over
12.1%
Child dependency
29.5
Old-age dependency
17.8
Change since 2010
+1.7%
Dependency ratios count children under 15 or adults 65 and over per 100 residents aged 15 to 64.
Show the population by age group, 2012
AgeMenWomenTotalShare
0-41,285,5171,229,5972,515,1146.6%
5-91,296,3861,242,0562,538,4426.7%
10-141,295,7971,241,5242,537,3216.7%
15-191,385,2441,312,7022,697,9467.1%
20-241,505,5781,404,2922,909,8707.7%
25-291,441,4191,353,2822,794,7017.4%
30-341,367,3311,323,8712,691,2027.1%
35-391,260,6491,252,1702,512,8196.6%
40-441,320,5861,314,8122,635,3986.9%
45-491,304,0021,303,7712,607,7736.9%
50-541,294,0991,320,3322,614,4316.9%
55-591,141,7271,205,9362,347,6636.2%
60-64933,9191,018,3101,952,2295.1%
65-69700,987788,2781,489,2653.9%
70-74480,113569,6531,049,7662.8%
75-79349,030442,513791,5432.1%
80-84255,755356,615612,3701.6%
85+229,135417,563646,6981.7%
How California compares with similar-sized states, 2012
RankStateResidentsRelative
1 California 37,944,551
2 Texas 26,084,120
3 New York 19,574,362
4 Florida 19,302,016
5 Illinois 12,883,029
6 Pennsylvania 12,769,123
7 Ohio 11,550,971
Frequently asked questions about California's population
What is the population of California?
California had an estimated 37,944,551 residents on July 1, 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program. That ranks 1st among the 51 states and the District of Columbia.
What is the median age in California?
The median age in California was 35.6 years in 2012, the 46th oldest of the 51 states and DC. That is 1.8 years younger than the national median of 37.4.
How many people in California are 65 or older?
About 4,589,642 residents of California (12.1%) were 65 or older in 2012, against 20.0% under 15 and 67.9% aged 15 to 64.
What does the population pyramid of California show?
In 2012, California: children under 15 (20.0%) clearly outnumber residents 65 and older (12.1%): a relatively young population. There were 98.7 men for every 100 women.
How fast is the population of California changing?
The population of California grew by 1.7% between 2010 and 2012, and by 0.8% in the last year.
More pyramids
All US states Population pyramid of the United States AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming