Demographics
California vs New York: Population
California has a larger population than New York by 19,342,409 people.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for population.
California
#1 · 39,345,844
New York
#4 · 20,003,435
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — Population
#1
California
39,345,844
California
#2
Texas
32,101,064
Texas
#3
Florida
23,659,198
Florida
#4
New York
20,003,435
New York
#5
Pennsylvania
13,073,016
Pennsylvania
#6
Illinois
12,735,249
Illinois
#7
Ohio
11,940,399
Ohio
#8
Georgia
11,401,288
Georgia
#9
North Carolina
11,343,875
North Carolina
#10
Michigan
10,155,806
Michigan
California ranks 1st and New York ranks 4th 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 New York: Population in context
California's population is 39,345,844, compared with 20,003,435 in New York, a gap of 96.7%. Estimated resident population in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates).
California
39,345,844
New York
20,003,435
Difference
+19,342,409 people
People also ask
California vs New York Population — common questions
QWhat is California's population?
California's population is 39,345,844.
QWhat is New York's population?
New York's population is 20,003,435.
QWhich state has a higher population — California or New York?
California has a larger population than New York by 19,342,409 people.
QHow much more population does California have compared to New York?
+19,342,409 people.
More comparisons: California vs New York
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
2025 estimate
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Latest annual state resident population copied from the maintained ranking.