The Abridged version:
- Cities and counties across the Sacramento region had some of the highest population growth and biggest housing development booms in the state between January 2025 and January 2026.
- New data from the California Department of Finance showed even though state numbers took a slight dip, areas in the Central Valley are gaining.
- Placer County was the fastest-growing county in the state between 2025 and 2026. Sacramento and Yolo Counties also saw population increases. El Dorado County shrunk by 0.3%.
Placer County and cities like Folsom and Elk Grove are some of the fastest-growing areas in California.
That’s according to new population data from the state Department of Finance released Friday. The report found that even though the state’s overall numbers suffered a slight dip (attributed to stricter federal immigration action), regions like the Central Valley are gaining.
Three counties across the four-county region — Placer, Sacramento and Yolo — reported more residents at the start of this year than January 2025. El Dorado County dropped by 0.3% between years.
Cities are booming too. Sacramento gained 6,809 residents in one year — an average of 19 new residents per day. The capital city had the fastest growth rate last year among the state’s largest cities.
The data also tracked housing growth across California. Sacramento, Roseville and Elk Grove were among the top numeric gainers. Rancho Cordova ranked ninth in the state in percentage growth of single-family homes.
Placer continues to see growth
Placer was the fastest-growing county in California by population, according to the Department of Finance numbers, with a 1.4% increase from 2025 to 2026. The population as of January 1, 2026, was 434,823.
Yuba County had the second-highest growth rate, a 1.2% increase, with 87,692 residents on Jan. 1.
Last year, Placer County reported the second fastest housing growth of any county in the state.
Once again, this year, the area stretching from Roseville to North Lake Tahoe ranked as one of California’s booming counties. Placer had the fourth fastest housing growth among counties across California. Yolo County was tenth on the housing list.
More residents and residences
Elk Grove and Folsom in Sacramento County, and Roseville in Placer County, were all among the top 10 fastest-growing cities with populations over 30,000.
Of all three cities, Roseville had the most growth, with a population of 165,455 at the start of the year.
Sacramento, still the sixth-largest city in California, saw a major boost in housing development.
According to the data, there are 5,048 new places to live in Sacramento. Single-family homes made up 1,766 of those.
By comparison, the city reported just under 2,000 new residences total in 2025.
Regional housing growth spikes
The Sacramento region built roughly 12,500 units of housing in 2024 — the year before the population figures spiked — the highest total in nearly two decades.
Because of that, “it doesn’t surprise me to see these (population) numbers pop the following year,” said James Corless, executive director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.
“Developers are building housing because they see the demand,” he said.
Corless noted that the region has more local governments designated as “pro-housing” by the state than any other region in California.
Rancho Cordova, Placer County, the city and counties of Sacramento, Roseville and Woodland are among the jurisdictions with that designation, meaning they “go above-and-beyond state housing law to help accelerate housing production,” according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
“This is a good moment, even though we have to manage now all the attendant challenges (that accompany growth),” Corless said. “I think we have the foundation to manage those challenges and big picture, I think we’re a region on the rise.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.