Analysts project the state’s population will reach almost 60 million people by the year 2050.  Mary Heim is Chief of the Demographic Research Unit.  She says the bulk of that will come from people having babies – though it also includes migration from other states and countries.  Heim says projections show Latinos will be the biggest ethnic group by the year 2042.  She says natural increase – more births than deaths – is driving the change for Latinos.  Whereas whites are in the opposite situation:

“They actually experience a natural decrease, where by the end of the period there’s more deaths than there are births, and that’s because the white population is relatively older than the other populations.”

Heim says by 2050, Latinos will make up 52% of the population, whites 26 percent, Asians 13 percent, blacks 5 percent, and multiracial 2 percent. The state will use the figures in planning for water, transportation and other needs.   
  
Sacramento County is expected to gain about a million residents by 2050.  Demographers project Sutter County will experience the greatest percentage increase – it is expected to nearly triple in size.