More People And More Housing In Sacramento And California

There were more people ...and more places to live in California last year.

Population and housing construction increased in almost every part of the state, including Sacramento and the Inland Empire.

John Malson of the California Department of Finance says increases like these haven't been seen since before the recession.

"There's something along the economic lines that's driving population where people are now moving into those areas,"according to Malson.

He says the population increased by about 358,000 people while housing construction increased by 69,000.

"It's not nearly as much as growth as has occurred in the past -- pre-recession years for instance -- when we were adding well over 100,000 units a year. But, 69,000 is a steady indication of housing growth in the state," says Malson.

More than a-quarter of the population and housing increases were in the state's largest cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.

The population increases in some cities -- like Taft, Shafter and Nevada City -- were attributed to increases in prison or jail populations.

Sand City in Monterey County, Dublin and Imperial added a proportional amount of housing to go with their population increases.

Sacramento's population increase was also nine-tenths of a percent.