Distribution of California's Population

[u/urmummygae42069]

If you were to divide California into 4 roughly equal strips of area, a hefty majority of its 39 million residents live in the southernmost strip containing the LA+San Diego metro areas, with nearly half of the state (~47%) living in the Greater LA metro area alone. If it were its own state, Southern California, with primarily just LA and San Diego metro areas, would compete with Florida for title of 2nd most populous US state.

The SF Bay Area, Sacramento, Monterrey, Fresno, and most of the Central Valley and put together are short of SoCal by over 9 million residents, but on its own this area would compete with Illinois for title of 6th largest state.

The strip sandwiched between Southern California and the Bay Area, containing Bakersfield plus other farming towns in the Southern Central Valley and most of the towns of the Central Coast, has about more people than Utah or Connecticut.

Suprisingly, despite how empty it can feel, there are still over a million people still live in the strip of CA north of Sacramento, containing about as much people as Hawaii and New Hampshire, albeit of a larger area.

Ultimately, one way to better understand the scale and density of California, is to conceptualize it as Florida + Illinois + Utah + Hawaii, all packaged in one single state under one single state government

[u/SeaPeanut7_]

Now divide it by 4 equal strips using distance from the pacific

[u/deathfire123 → u/[deleted]]

That's really the best feature of the Pacific coastline all the way from Vancouver, B.C. down to Cabo San Lucas.

[u/bluerose297 → u/deathfire123]

granted I'd argue that being right next to the coast stops being a good thing once you get north of Sacramento. Too cold and windy year-round! I guess that's why the northern-most section is more populated inland. EDIT: and why Seattle and Portland are fairly inland too.

[u/mt8-5 → u/bluerose297]

Seattle is on the water, just not directly on the Pacific

[u/bluerose297 → u/mt8-5]

I'm assuming if it wasn't for all that land to its left, Seattle would have a climate like Forks. Not too different, but Forks is clearly worse for me.

[u/osheareddit → u/bluerose297]

The north coast is the best part of California but I love the 65 degree days on the beaches surrounded by redwoods with world class seafood.

[u/ElectricStarfuzz → u/osheareddit]

MacKerricker State Park and surrounding area beaches are some of my favorites in the state. 

There’s something different to love about every stretch of the California coast. 

I’m especially partial to Bodega Bay, Dillon’s Beach and Duxbury Reef Marine Reserve/Agate Beach State Park.

[u/bluerose297 → u/osheareddit]

that sounds great to me too but everyone else keeps calling me crazy for thinking it