Population Comparison
Demographics

California vs Hawaii: Population

California has a larger population than Hawaii by 38,082,952 people.

California flag
California
CA • West
Winner
39,538,223
Total resident population (2020 Census).
Hawaii flag
Hawaii
HI • West
1,455,271
Total resident population (2020 Census).

Visual Comparison

California 39,538,223
Hawaii 1,455,271

Difference: +38,082,952 people — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for population.

California #1 · 39,538,223
Hawaii #40 · 1,455,271
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Population

#1 California flag California
39,538,223
#2 Texas flag Texas
29,145,505
#3 Florida flag Florida
21,538,187
#4 New York flag New York
20,201,249
#5 Pennsylvania flag Pennsylvania
13,002,700
#6 Illinois flag Illinois
12,812,508
#7 Ohio flag Ohio
11,799,448
#8 Georgia flag Georgia
10,711,908
#9 North Carolina flag North Carolina
10,439,388
#10 Michigan flag Michigan
10,077,331
Selected states
#40 Hawaii flag Hawaii
1,455,271

California ranks 1st and Hawaii ranks 40th nationally for population.

Related Context

Population in Context

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

What This Means

California vs Hawaii: Population in context

California has a population of 39,538,223, compared with 1,455,271 in Hawaii — roughly 27.2× the Hawaii figure. Total resident population (2020 Census).

California
39,538,223
Hawaii
1,455,271
Difference
+38,082,952 people

People Also Ask

California vs Hawaii Population — Common Questions

Q What is California's population?

California's population is 39,538,223.

Q What is Hawaii's population?

Hawaii's population is 1,455,271.

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

California has a larger population than Hawaii by 38,082,952 people.

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

+38,082,952 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; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes 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.