Population Comparison
Demographics

California vs Florida: Population

California has a larger population than Florida by 18,000,036 people.

California flag
California
CA • West
Winner
39,538,223
Total resident population (2020 Census).
Florida flag
Florida
FL • South
21,538,187
Total resident population (2020 Census).

Visual Comparison

California 39,538,223
Florida 21,538,187

Difference: +18,000,036 people — California leads.

Related Context

Population in Context

Raw headcount only tells part of the story — density and education round it out.

What This Means

California vs Florida: Population in context

California has a population of 39,538,223, compared with 21,538,187 in Florida, a gap of 83.6%. Total resident population (2020 Census).

California
39,538,223
Florida
21,538,187
Difference
+18,000,036 people

People Also Ask

California vs Florida Population — Common Questions

Q What is California's population?

California's population is 39,538,223.

Q What is Florida's population?

Florida's population is 21,538,187.

Q Which state has a higher population — California or Florida?

California has a larger population than Florida by 18,000,036 people.

Q How much more population does California have compared to Florida?

+18,000,036 people.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.