California is doing very poorly, having, by far, the worst year it's ever had where, for the first time in History, more people are leaving than coming.
Evidence and Verdict
For
California did experience large net domestic outmigration in recent years—AP reports a net domestic loss of 355,648 people in 2021, a substantial migration outflow. Analyses of metro-area migration trends (The New York Times Upshot) show large annual migration losses around 2021, supporting that California and other expensive metros faced severe outmigration during the pandemic period.
Against
AP News reports California's population grew in 2023, halting a three-year decline and showing net domestic migration losses had shrunk to 91,189 in 2023, contradicting the idea of an ongoing 'worst year.' The data and fact-checking context in cited sources indicate that claims of a first-ever net outflow or an unprecedented single worst year are inaccurate or premature, since sizeable outflows occurred in prior recent years and overall population trends reversed in 2023.
Verdict
The claim mixes a true element (California experienced large outmigration in 2021) with false or overstated elements (it was not the first time more people left than arrived, and 2023 showed population growth and smaller outflows), so the overall rating is MIXED.
Sources
International migration drove US population growth in 2022 | AP News
International migration drove US population growth in 2022 | AP News - May 3, 2026
Texas, the second most populous state in the U.S., surpassed the 30 million-resident mark, joining California as the only other state in this category.
Open sourceWhat is the population of the United States? 2023 numbers to know.
What is the population of the United States? 2023 numbers to know. - May 3, 2026
## What is the population of the U.S.?
Open sourceNew US census data highlights immigration and an alarming trend
New US census data highlights immigration and an alarming trend - May 3, 2026
Marc Perry, a senior demographer for the Census Bureau, said for the first time in the 2020s, the Midwest saw net positive domestic migration ‒ more people moving to the region from elsewhere withi...
Open sourcePolitiFact | Trump’s claims of negative net migration are premature. Some analysts say it could happen.
PolitiFact | Trump’s claims of negative net migration are premature. Some analysts say it could happen. - May 3, 2026
The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter
Open sourceCalifornia's population grew in 2023, halting 3 years of decline, state estimates | AP News
California's population grew in 2023, halting 3 years of decline, state estimates | AP News - May 3, 2026
In 2021 — when coronavirus cases were still surging and more people were working remotely — California lost a net 355,648 people because of domestic migration. In 2023, that was down to 91,189. Tha...
Open source10 Years, 100 Stories: The Work That Defines the Upshot - The New York Times
10 Years, 100 Stories: The Work That Defines the Upshot - The New York Times - May 3, 2026
A chart showing net domestic migration of college-educated working-age adults in the 12 most expensive large metro areas, including cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Annual migration h...
Open source