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   2015  +1 +5

38,904,296 people lived in California on July 1, 2015: the largest population among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The median age was 36.1 years (United States: 37.8); children under 15 (19.5%) clearly outnumber residents 65 and older (13.2%): a relatively young population. There were 98.7 men for every 100 women. Since 2010 the population has grown by 4.2%. 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, 2015
Population
38,904,296
Rank by population
1st of 51
Median age
36.1
Men per 100 women
98.7
Under 15
19.5%
15–64
67.3%
65 and over
13.2%
Child dependency
28.9
Old-age dependency
19.6
Change since 2010
+4.2%
Dependency ratios count children under 15 or adults 65 and over per 100 residents aged 15 to 64.
Show the population by age group, 2015
AgeMenWomenTotalShare
0-41,284,1661,225,1222,509,2886.4%
5-91,298,9321,243,1912,542,1236.5%
10-141,283,5211,234,5772,518,0986.5%
15-191,328,8131,269,7712,598,5846.7%
20-241,486,5001,385,9922,872,4927.4%
25-291,545,2891,445,6722,990,9617.7%
30-341,444,6411,384,1992,828,8407.3%
35-391,311,3131,285,9592,597,2726.7%
40-441,267,9541,272,5572,540,5116.5%
45-491,286,1341,282,9992,569,1336.6%
50-541,295,3661,318,7392,614,1056.7%
55-591,212,8151,264,9062,477,7216.4%
60-641,009,1811,100,2362,109,4175.4%
65-69815,278916,2851,731,5634.5%
70-74554,577657,1531,211,7303.1%
75-79384,645480,570865,2152.2%
80-84264,332361,434625,7661.6%
85+254,858446,619701,4771.8%
How California compares with similar-sized states, 2015
RankStateResidentsRelative
1 California 38,904,296
2 Texas 27,468,531
3 Florida 20,219,111
4 New York 19,657,321
5 Illinois 12,859,585
6 Pennsylvania 12,789,838
7 Ohio 11,622,315
Frequently asked questions about California's population
What is the population of California?
California had an estimated 38,904,296 residents on July 1, 2015, 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 36.1 years in 2015, the 45th oldest of the 51 states and DC. That is 1.7 years younger than the national median of 37.8.
How many people in California are 65 or older?
About 5,135,751 residents of California (13.2%) were 65 or older in 2015, against 19.5% under 15 and 67.3% aged 15 to 64.
What does the population pyramid of California show?
In 2015, California: children under 15 (19.5%) clearly outnumber residents 65 and older (13.2%): 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 4.2% between 2010 and 2015, and by 0.8% in the last year.
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