California vs New York population, 1990 to 2025

What the data shows

• California: 30M in 1990, 39.4M in 2025. It peaked at 39.5M in 2020.
• New York: 18M in 1990, 20M in 2025. It peaked at 20.1M in 2020.

About this chart

California had the larger population in 2025: 39,355,309 versus 20,002,427 for New York, a gap of 19,352,882. Over the full period from 1990, California grew by 31.4%, while New York grew by 11.1%. California was ahead in 1990 and remained ahead at every annual observation in the displayed series. The comparison uses the same reference year for both states.

The Census series compares July 1 resident populations for California and New York. In 1990, their counts were 29,950,111 and 18,002,855, respectively. Estimates from different Census vintages are joined across decades, and revisions can affect the measured trend. These state totals include residents throughout each state rather than only its cities. They describe the scale and direction of population change but do not, on their own, separate births, deaths and migration.

The data

Source: U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 (vintages 1999, 2000–2010 intercensal, 2020 and 2025), people. Retrieved November 5, 2026. July 1 resident population estimates. Different Census vintages are joined across decades; revisions can affect comparisons.