How many immigrants are in California?
Data updated September 19, 2024
About 10.6M in 2023. This translates to approximately 27.3% of the population, or roughly 2 in 7 residents in California. Immigrants were defined as foreign-born residents, which included people who became US citizens, were authorized to come to the US (e.g., for work), or were undocumented residents.
Showing data for
In 2023
10.6M
California residents were foreign-born
In 2023
2 in 7
California residents were foreign-born
The number of foreign-born residents in California grew from 10.3M in 2013 to 10.6M in 2023. This increase occurred alongside changes in the native-born population due to births, deaths, and people moving. Analyzing the foreign-born share of the total population provides a better view of these demographics. In California, the foreign-born share of the population was 27.3% in 2023, higher than the US overall at 14.3%, and up from 26.9% in the state since 2013.
In California, 27.3% of the population was foreign-born in 2023.
Variations in immigrant populations illustrate a changing population landscape in both local areas and the nation as a whole. The largest immigration populations are concentrated in big metro areas. Metro areas in California, Texas, Florida, and parts of the Northeast typically have a higher share of residents that are foreign-born.
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From 2018 to 2022, the metro areas (with data) in the US with the highest and lowest foreign-born population share were: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL at 41.5% foreign-born (highest) and Beckley, WV at 0.9% foreign-born (lowest). The highest and lowest among the metro areas in or connected to California were: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at 39.7% foreign-born (highest) and Redding, CA at 5.2% foreign-born (lowest).
On average, 8.3% of the population in metro areas was foreign-born from 2018 to 2022
Foreign-born share of the population
Average foreign-born share of the population from 2018 to 2022
| 1. | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metro Area | 39.7% |
| 2. | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro Area | 32.4% |
| 3. | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Metro Area | 30.9% |
| 4. | El Centro, CA Metro Area | 30.6% |
| 5. | Salinas, CA Metro Area | 28.9% |
| 6. | Merced, CA Metro Area | 26.3% |
| 7. | Stockton, CA Metro Area | 23.9% |
| 8. | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Metro Area | 22.6% |
| 9. | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Metro Area | 22.2% |
| 10. | Napa, CA Metro Area | 22.2% |
