Cities in California by population

Los Angeles, CA had the highest population of 376 cities in 2021, at 3.83 million. Paradise, CA had the lowest, at 6,565. The median was 47,169 and the figure for California was 39.15 million. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest3,831,478Los Angeles, CA

Lowest6,565Paradise, CA

Median47,169376 cities

California39,152,927History

Top 40 cities, 2021

persons. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2021 persons	Change on 2020
1	Los Angeles, CA	3,831,478	-1.7%
2	San Diego, CA	1,371,244	-0.8%
3	San Jose, CA	981,769	-2.8%
4	San Francisco, CA	816,169	-6.7%
5	Fresno, CA	544,016	+0.2%
6	Sacramento, CA	525,571	-0%
7	Long Beach, CA	455,224	-2.2%
8	Oakland, CA	437,373	-0.9%
9	Bakersfield, CA	409,522	+1.1%
10	Anaheim, CA	344,858	-0.5%
11	Stockton, CA	321,542	+0.2%
12	Riverside, CA	313,966	-0.5%
13	Santa Ana, CA	311,060	-0.1%
14	Irvine, CA	303,444	-1.6%
15	Chula Vista, CA	275,748	-0%
16	Santa Clarita, CA	229,818	-1.1%
17	Fremont, CA	227,976	-1.1%
18	San Bernardino, CA	220,520	-0.7%
19	Modesto, CA	218,688	-0%
20	Fontana, CA	212,415	+1.6%
21	Moreno Valley, CA	210,881	+1%
22	Oxnard, CA	201,801	-0%
23	Huntington Beach, CA	196,505	-1%
24	Glendale, CA	192,000	-2%
25	Ontario, CA	178,221	+1.4%
26	Elk Grove, CA	178,011	+0.8%
27	Santa Rosa, CA	177,374	-0.3%
28	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	175,309	+0.4%
29	Oceanside, CA	173,046	-0.6%
30	Garden Grove, CA	170,677	-0.7%
31	Lancaster, CA	170,052	-1.8%
32	Palmdale, CA	165,566	-2%
33	Salinas, CA	162,695	-0.4%
34	Corona, CA	159,226	+1.1%
35	Hayward, CA	158,361	-2.7%
36	Roseville, CA	152,538	+2.7%
37	Sunnyvale, CA	152,475	-1.8%
38	Escondido, CA	150,171	-0.5%
39	Pomona, CA	147,024	-2.6%
40	Torrance, CA	143,265	-2.2%
41	Visalia, CA	142,777	+0.7%
42	Fullerton, CA	140,359	-2.2%
43	Orange, CA	138,673	-0.6%
44	Pasadena, CA	137,066	-1.6%
45	Victorville, CA	136,028	+1%
46	Santa Clara, CA	128,641	0%
47	Thousand Oaks, CA	126,120	-0.5%
48	Simi Valley, CA	125,834	-0.4%
49	Vallejo, CA	124,881	-0.8%
50	Concord, CA	124,392	-0.7%
51	Clovis, CA	123,322	+2.1%
52	Fairfield, CA	120,033	+0.1%
53	Richmond, CA	115,790	-0.3%
54	Antioch, CA	115,531	+0.1%
55	Berkeley, CA	115,433	-7%
56	Carlsbad, CA	114,984	+0.1%
57	Murrieta, CA	112,195	+0.9%
58	Downey, CA	111,587	-2.1%
59	Costa Mesa, CA	111,058	-0.9%
60	Temecula, CA	110,931	+0.8%
61	Santa Maria, CA	110,115	+0.3%
62	San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA	109,947	-0.6%
63	Menifee, CA	107,032	+3.7%
64	West Covina, CA	106,879	-2.1%
65	El Monte, CA	106,826	-2.1%
66	Jurupa Valley, CA	106,737	+1.3%
67	Inglewood, CA	105,288	-1.9%
68	El Cajon, CA	105,098	-0.9%
69	Burbank, CA	104,904	-2%
70	Rialto, CA	104,060	+0.1%
71	San Mateo, CA	102,944	-2.6%
72	Vacaville, CA	102,015	-0.1%
73	Daly City, CA	101,790	-2.9%
74	Chico, CA	101,393	-2.5%
75	Norwalk, CA	100,438	-1.9%
76	Hesperia, CA	100,417	+0.5%
77	Vista, CA	99,244	+0.4%
78	Tracy, CA	95,525	+2%
79	Redding, CA	93,705	-0.1%
80	Merced, CA	93,513	+3.4%
81	Compton, CA	93,390	-2.1%
82	San Marcos, CA	93,377	-1.6%
83	Carson, CA	93,276	-2.2%
84	Mission Viejo, CA	92,524	-1%
85	Chino, CA	92,074	+0.6%
86	South Gate, CA	91,871	-0.8%
87	Santa Monica, CA	91,249	-1.8%
88	Indio, CA	90,795	+1.5%
89	Hemet, CA	90,470	+0.7%
90	Westminster, CA	90,207	-0.6%
91	San Leandro, CA	88,396	-2.6%
92	Santa Barbara, CA	88,218	-0.6%
93	Whittier, CA	87,462	-1.4%
94	Citrus Heights, CA	87,240	-0.3%
95	San Ramon, CA	86,407	-0.1%
96	Manteca, CA	86,341	+2.7%
97	Livermore, CA	86,058	-2.1%
98	Lake Forest, CA	85,951	0%
99	Hawthorne, CA	85,915	-2.1%
100	Newport Beach, CA	84,365	-0.9%
101	Buena Park, CA	82,988	-1%
102	Mountain View, CA	82,273	-0.6%
103	Folsom, CA	81,774	+1.1%
104	Redwood City, CA	81,692	-2.6%
105	Alhambra, CA	81,263	-1.7%
106	Rancho Cordova, CA	80,833	+1.5%
107	Lakewood, CA	80,509	-2.1%
108	Perris, CA	79,474	+0.9%
109	Upland, CA	79,238	+0.3%
110	Tustin, CA	79,161	-0.9%
111	Napa, CA	79,138	-0.3%
112	Chino Hills, CA	78,357	-0.1%
113	Pleasanton, CA	77,716	-2.5%
114	Milpitas, CA	77,562	-2.8%
115	Bellflower, CA	77,294	-2.1%
116	Alameda, CA	76,622	-1.9%
117	Pittsburg, CA	75,925	-0.6%
118	Apple Valley, CA	75,789	-0.1%
119	Redlands, CA	73,216	-0%
120	Rocklin, CA	72,797	+1.4%
121	Turlock, CA	72,164	-0.8%
122	Lake Elsinore, CA	72,145	+2.3%
123	Eastvale, CA	70,926	+1.3%
124	Dublin, CA	70,654	-2.1%
125	Camarillo, CA	70,570	-0.2%
126	Baldwin Park, CA	70,495	-2%
127	Tulare, CA	70,453	+1.6%
128	Walnut Creek, CA	70,002	-0.3%
129	Redondo Beach, CA	69,911	-2.1%
130	Yuba City, CA	69,778	-0.4%
131	Union City, CA	68,138	-2.6%
132	Yorba Linda, CA	67,582	-1%
133	Madera, CA	67,535	+1.4%
134	Davis, CA	67,088	+0.3%
135	Lodi, CA	67,081	+1%
136	Palo Alto, CA	66,818	-2.2%
137	Brentwood, CA	64,857	+0.6%
138	Lynwood, CA	64,628	-3.2%
139	Laguna Niguel, CA	64,458	-0.1%
140	South San Francisco, CA	63,853	-3.1%
141	San Clemente, CA	63,654	-0.9%
142	Porterville, CA	63,049	+0.1%
143	La Habra, CA	62,282	-1.1%
144	Encinitas, CA	61,695	-0.5%
145	Woodland, CA	61,460	+0.8%
146	Montebello, CA	61,198	-2%
147	San Rafael, CA	60,926	-0.4%
148	La Mesa, CA	60,775	-0.5%
149	Pico Rivera, CA	60,660	-2%
150	Hanford, CA	59,959	+0.7%
151	Gardena, CA	59,588	-2%
152	Monterey Park, CA	59,561	-2.2%
153	Petaluma, CA	59,295	-0.8%
154	Santee, CA	59,136	-1.2%
155	Cupertino, CA	58,393	-2.7%
156	Gilroy, CA	58,162	-2.2%
157	National City, CA	58,083	-5.5%
158	Highland, CA	56,845	-0.2%
159	Fountain Valley, CA	56,389	-1%
160	Santa Cruz, CA	55,501	-13.5%
161	Arcadia, CA	55,444	-1.8%
162	San Jacinto, CA	55,249	+2%
163	Yucaipa, CA	54,587	-0%
164	Beaumont, CA	54,446	+2.1%
165	Colton, CA	54,058	+0.2%
166	West Sacramento, CA	53,987	+0.3%
167	Diamond Bar, CA	53,847	-2.1%
168	Huntington Park, CA	53,537	-2.1%
169	Novato, CA	53,001	-0.3%
170	Paramount, CA	52,459	-2.1%
171	Cathedral City, CA	52,272	+1.3%
172	Placentia, CA	52,209	-0.9%
173	Watsonville, CA	52,077	-0.8%
174	Palm Desert, CA	51,536	+0.7%
175	Aliso Viejo, CA	51,535	-1.1%
176	Lincoln, CA	51,325	+2.7%
177	Glendora, CA	51,241	-2.2%
178	Delano, CA	50,847	+1.9%
179	Covina, CA	50,204	-1.9%
180	Rosemead, CA	50,092	-1.8%
181	Cypress, CA	49,613	-0.9%
182	Ceres, CA	49,519	-0.4%
183	Azusa, CA	48,693	-3%
184	Poway, CA	48,510	-0.6%
185	Cerritos, CA	48,327	-2.2%
186	San Luis Obispo, CA	47,886	+1.5%
187	La Mirada, CA	47,665	-1.8%
188	Rancho Santa Margarita, CA	47,340	-1.1%
189	Newark, CA	46,998	-1.1%
190	Los Banos, CA	46,982	+2.7%
191	Brea, CA	46,879	-0.8%
192	Morgan Hill, CA	45,267	-0.9%
193	Palm Springs, CA	45,002	+0.8%
194	Rohnert Park, CA	44,586	+0.3%
195	Oakley, CA	44,216	+1.7%
196	El Centro, CA	44,209	-0.5%
197	Danville, CA	43,535	-0.1%
198	Lompoc, CA	43,352	-2.3%
199	Hollister, CA	43,327	+3.5%
200	Campbell, CA	42,651	-2.6%
201	Coachella, CA	42,471	+1.1%
202	San Bruno, CA	42,298	-3.3%
203	Rancho Palos Verdes, CA	41,256	-2.1%
204	Culver City, CA	39,994	-1.8%
205	Stanton, CA	38,780	+1.8%
206	San Gabriel, CA	38,600	-2.2%
207	Bell Gardens, CA	38,555	-2.1%
208	Calexico, CA	38,490	-0.2%
209	La Quinta, CA	38,289	+1.2%
210	Adelanto, CA	38,157	+0.1%
211	Montclair, CA	37,953	0%
212	Monrovia, CA	37,618	-1%
213	La Puente, CA	37,300	-1.7%
214	Pacifica, CA	37,177	-3.5%
215	Wildomar, CA	37,156	+0.6%
216	Claremont, CA	36,939	-1.3%
217	Martinez, CA	36,937	-0.6%
218	Moorpark, CA	36,036	-0.6%
219	Temple City, CA	35,632	-2%
220	West Hollywood, CA	35,103	-1.8%
221	San Juan Capistrano, CA	34,903	-0.7%
222	Manhattan Beach, CA	34,558	-2.2%
223	Pleasant Hill, CA	34,382	-0.6%
224	San Dimas, CA	34,090	-2%
225	Desert Hot Springs, CA	32,870	+1%
226	Dana Point, CA	32,845	-0.7%
227	Foster City, CA	32,751	-2.9%
228	Goleta, CA	32,749	-0.1%
229	Bell, CA	32,717	-2.2%
230	Menlo Park, CA	32,556	-3.3%
231	Los Gatos, CA	32,527	-2.7%
232	Atwater, CA	32,131	+0.7%
233	Seaside, CA	32,031	-0.9%
234	San Pablo, CA	31,915	-0.7%
235	Beverly Hills, CA	31,894	-2.1%
236	El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA	31,549	+0.2%
237	Lathrop, CA	31,339	+7.6%
238	Santa Paula, CA	31,163	+1.2%
239	Lawndale, CA	31,082	-2.1%
240	Laguna Hills, CA	30,977	-1.1%
241	La Verne, CA	30,807	-2.1%
242	Banning, CA	30,773	+3.2%
243	Los Altos, CA	30,566	-2.5%
244	Burlingame, CA	30,235	-3.4%
245	Saratoga, CA	30,114	-2.6%
246	Monterey, CA	29,878	-1%
247	Atascadero, CA	29,765	+0.1%
248	San Carlos, CA	29,645	-3.3%
249	Suisun City, CA	29,277	-0.7%
250	East Palo Alto, CA	28,935	-3.4%

Showing the top 250 of 376. The Excel download has every row.

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population. Spain and the EU: 1 January, with Spanish figures from the official municipal register (Padrón). Norway: Statistics Norway, 1 January. United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July. United Kingdom regions and local authorities: Office for National Statistics estimates for 30 June. Other countries and the World: World Bank mid-year estimates, which count all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

The World Bank series exists for every country, so use it (through compare) to rank countries on one basis.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals) (Cities in California by population, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/

MLA 9

Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals), Cities in California by population, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 14 May 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population/california-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals). Cities in California by population, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population/california-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals), Cities in California by population, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/population/california-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_california_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals): Cities in California by population, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population/california-cities?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals): Cities in California by population, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/14
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/population/california-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population/california-cities?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

Which city has the highest population?

Los Angeles, CA, with 3.83 million in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest population?

Paradise, CA, with 6,565 in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals). Retrieved 2026-10-12.