California remains the largest state in the union by far, but  the latest census numbers reveal that the state is growing less quickly than before.  In the New York Times article "For California, A Slower-Growing Population," Jennifer Medina examined the decreased growth and the changing racial and ethnic composition of the state.  Graphics featuring Census and Social Explorer data accompany the article.

Perhaps the legendary beaches here are losing their pull. California, once the very symbol of sun-drenched American growth, had a population increase of only 10 percent in the last decade, the slowest rise in the state’s history. And for the first time since California became a state in 1850, it will not gain a Congressional seat.

The population of the most-populous state continued to shift eastward, with inland Southern California counties showing the most explosive growth, according to Census Bureau figures released Tuesday.

The recent growth in the state has been largely fueled by Hispanics, who continued to increase in numbers, though at a slower rate than in the 1990s. The number of whites continued to decline. They now make up just 40 percent of the state, compared with 47 percent in 2000.

Basically, the overall number of California girls is stabilizing, while more and more of them are California chicas.

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