California's Population Approaches 38 Million-up 11.5 percent since the 2000 census

[The Straight Story]

California's Population Approaches 38 Million

SACRAMENTO (AP) -- California's population is nearing 38 million people, up 11.5 percent since the 2000 census.

The state Department of Finance released its latest figures Wednesday and estimates that the nation's most populous state had about 37,771,000 people as of July 1. It added 438,000 residents in
the previous year.

Los Angeles County is home to nearly 10.3 million people. The least populated is mountainous Alpine County, with just 1,261 residents.

http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=36490

[XemaSab]

1. Population density map

[KitchenWitch]

2. So that makes it ~19 million people living in an area that would sustain about 4 million

x(

[Selatius]

3. They are large enough to be their own country.

Spain's population is roughly 45 million.

[matt819]

4. Any statisticians out there?

That's a net gain of close to 1600 people per day over the past seven years. Seems high to me. Some of that is natural births/deaths, and maybe that accounts for the bulk of it given a starting population of close to34 million. Any analysts want to weigh in? And what's the impact politically with allocation of representatives?

[Johonny]

14. not good

The Californian is very under represented in Congress, and hence the electoral college. So it's no surprise the Californian is a net loser in tax dollars spending, which of course leads to higher state taxes to pay for the short fall in federal support.

[Hekate]

17. Tax-wise, we are a donor state to the feds: we give way more than we receive...

And yet oddly enough many outside California mock us as too laid-back and generally a bowl of granola. That, btw, includes the DUers who see fit to blame us for living where we get seasons of fires and mudslides.

I have a friend who used to live here who called me from upstate New York to report that she was watching the sleet fall and was afraid to leave the house for 48 hours (for her husband's medical tests) because the pipes would freeze and explode.

Hmmm. Sunshine and water shortages -- or sleet, darkness, and exploding pipes? How to choose, how to choose...

Hekate

[Arugula Latte]

5. One reason I no longer live there... nt

[JuniperLea]

6. I'm one of the 10.3 million Angelinos...

Born, raised, work, raised my family within a 20-mile radius inside Los Angeles County. I love my city; we are at times indeed a city of the angels.

That being said, my city is falling apart. There are too many people here and not enough infrastructure.

I'm going to cross-post this from another thread... I do NOT want to turn your thread into an immigration thread! But these things need said, and read, to fully understand what is happening to this once-grand city.

*****

We have no infrastructure to support this number of people. In Los Angeles, we frequently have sewage overflow into the ocean because the system cannot support this many people. This is not healthy for anyone, especially the immigrants who don't know better and swim or fish in the pollution. Our freeways are falling down around us, literally. There is just too much traffic. We don't have enough water for everyone either. And we don't have enough health-care, so many immigrants don't get immunizations.

I'm not blaming the people for this, I'm blaming the governments of the US and Mexico. The whole damn town is going to implode, and then we won't be fit for man nor beast. Parts of Los Angeles are virtually indistinguishable from the squalor of Tia Juana... this is no exaggeration. No electricity, no water... shallow ditches being dug in backyards to dump the "honeybuckets"... tar paper and cardboard covering broken windows... people dying of asphyxiation because they start a fire in a dilapidated fireplace, or bring a bbq into the house for warmth. Fifty-plus people living in a 600 square foot house without electricity, trash collection or water. It's getting damn serious, and I for one am horribly afraid.

****

If you could have seen my city between 1964 and 1974, you'd be singing the blues too...

Edited to add this... our population has nearly doubled since 1960, and there have been very, very few changes to the infrastructure.



http://www.censusscope.org/us/s6/c37/chart_popl.html

[taught_me_patience]

21. Maybe you should move to another city for a while

to experience what life is like outside of Los Angeles. You bag on it, but many millions of people belive that Los Angeles is better than the city they come from. They have chosen to leave their families, jobs, and friends behind to move to Los Angeles. I'm one of them and, hell, I'm from Honolulu!

[sarcasmo]

7. Way to over crowded, it's getting like China and India.

[AlCzervik]

8. we have Major problems here in the great state of but i'm glad i live here.

[JuniperLea]

9. Me too...

This has been my home all of my life, and my heart would surely break if I were to leave.

[AlCzervik]

12. we moved here 7 years ago, we both grew up in mass and then we moved to texas

for 3 looooong years so when the opportunity came up to move to California i couldn't pack our bags fast enough.

[JuniperLea]

18. Welcome home:)

It's still beautiful...

[sarcasmo]

10. The U.P. of Michigan is for me, at least when I retire.

[JuniperLea]

11. You'll probably enjoy Los Angeles' old climat...

From Seattle to Maine, I expect it to be balmy.

[sarcasmo]

13. It still snows in the U.P. from mid October to mid May.

[JuniperLea]

16. Give it a few years...

We used to get 24 ft of snow in the High Sierras... we're lucky to get 12 now.

[goodgd_yall]

22. Ditto

I've thought of it, but the culture here is too fine to leave. Any other place I'd consider is too cold for too much of the year.

[AlCzervik]

23. oh just the thought of living thorugh another new englnd winter--oh no.

i lived through 30 of them and i know now i could never handle one again, i love to ski and even the thought of driving up to Tahoe just for the nevelty is a no go for me, plus i like having an unsalty car.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. The growth rate is still pretty darn high

It never ceases to amaze me how my home state keeps growing. I had thought the cost of housing would slow it down a bit, but it would appear I was wrong.

Humorously, when I selected the area I live in now one of the reasons was due to its small, quaint size. Now our growth rate is at nearly 26% since 2000 in a state that has around 13% growth since 2000. :(

[taught_me_patience]

19. I'm one of the newbies

Moved to Los Angeles from Hawaii in 2003. Just an honest guy trying to make a living in the land of opportunity!

[HCE SuiGeneris]

20. 6th Largest Economy in the World

The economy of California is often cited for how it would compare to other countries if California were an independent nation. The statistic quoted varies widely (usually placing California between 6th and 10th), depending on the source.

http://www.answers.com/topic/economy-of-california