SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The expected release of U.S. Census Bureau data in the coming days is likely to reflect what California demographers have long known, namely that the state is growing at a record slow rate. California’s average annual population growth has slipped to 0.06% over the past decade, lower than any time since at least 1900. California is facing the prospect of losing a U.S. House seat for the first time in its history, while political rivals such as Texas add more residents and political clout. At nearly 40 million people, California is still the nation’s most populous state by far. But the numbers mark a stark moment for a state long defined by boundless growth.
