Regional Population Growth Grinds to a Halt

Population growth in the nine-county Bay Area ground to a halt in the 12-month period between July 2024 and July 2025, according to new data released by the California Department of Finance. The region posted a gain of just 4,000 people – a 0.05% increase to 7.67 million in total population – after growing by nearly 50,000 people in the prior 12 months. Population numbers fell by approximately 1,000 people in each of Contra Costa, Marin, and Solano counties; Sonoma County posted no change; and Alameda (2,100 gain), Napa (500), San Francisco (300), San Mateo (400), and Santa Clara (3,750) counties all experienced slower population growth than in the previous 12 months. The region’s slowdown in growth is the result of lower overall foreign immigration into the Bay Area and an increase in the net number of people moving out domestically. Positively, the Bay Area’s population grew faster than the State of California overall for the third consecutive year, as the new data shows growth of just 20,000 people across the entire state.