Five Southern California counties accounted for almost half the state’s population growth between July 2015 and July 2016, according to the population estimates released this week by the state Department of Finance.

Seven in 10 California residents live in nine counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino, and Riverside County ranked near the top for its rate of growth, the new numbers show. California’s overall population grew 0.75 percent to 39.4 million, tops in the nation.

The finance department regularly puts out population estimates based on birth and death counts, driver’s license data and other sources. The numbers are different than those compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Of the roughly 295,000 people added to the state’s population between July 2015 and July 2016, about 47 percent were in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties.

One in four California residents lives in Los Angeles County. Another 11 percent live in Riverside and San Bernardino counties and 8 percent live in Orange County. Put another way, 45 percent of California residents live in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The figures show a continued trend of inland counties having the most robust growth rates. Riverside County’s growth rate of 1.35 percent was the state’s fourth-highest, with Yolo County – 1.95 percent – being first.

Smaller, more rural counties showed little growth or lost residents.

State officials put Los Angeles County’s population at 10.2 million, tops among California’s 58 counties. Orange County ranked third with 3.18 million, Riverside County was fourth with 2.3 million and San Bernardino County came in fifth with 2.1 million.

Alpine County is California’s smallest, with just 1,148 residents.

Southern California counties rank among the most populous in America. Nationwide, Los Angeles County is first, San Diego County is fifth, Orange County is sixth, Riverside County is 10th and San Bernardino County is 12th, census figures show.

Despite the population growth, California’s birth rate fell from 13.69 births per 1,000 people in the 2010 census to 12.42 per 1,000, according to state numbers. At the same time, an aging baby boomer population caused the state’s death rate to go from 6.26 deaths per 1,000 residents in 2010 to 6.71 deaths per 1,000 today, according to state figures.

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