Gen Z is defying trends and betting on California—even as older Americans flee to the Sun Belt

California is showing two sharply different population trends. The state has been shrinking overall, while the country’s youngest adults continue moving toward the Golden State.

A statewide decline

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that California’s population fell 0.5% between April 2020 and July 2025. The decline places the state among the clearest examples of population contraction during that period.

U-Haul’s 2025 Growth Index provides another measure of the state’s outbound movement. California recorded the largest net loss of one-way U-Haul customers of any state for the sixth consecutive year.

Younger adults are moving in the opposite direction

Despite those broader figures, Gen Z adults continue packing up and heading to California. That movement stands apart from the state’s overall population results and from the relocation pattern captured by U-Haul.

The available figures do not explain why younger adults are choosing California or identify how many are moving there. They do, however, show that a statewide population decline does not reflect every age group’s direction of travel.

A divided migration picture

California’s latest demographic data therefore points to a split picture: more residents are leaving than arriving overall, yet the state continues to attract the country’s youngest adults. That contrast makes age an important distinction when evaluating California’s population and relocation trends.