San Diego has lost population for the first time in over a decade, losing 11,183 people between July 2020 to July 2021. Though the decline was slight, representing about 0.3% of the population, the demographic shift could have major impacts on the region's future.
"San Diego County has had a net domestic out migration for a number of years, and so has California. So that means that more people leave the state, then move in," said Mike Freeman, reporter for the San Diego-Union Tribune.
"What has happened though in the past in San Diego County in particular, is that foreign immigration has made up for that," Freeman said.
Immigration policies put in place during the coronavirus pandemic, which limited immigration to the region, may have played a role in the population shift, particularly Title 42, which is currently slated to end later this month.
Freeman joined Midday Edition on Monday talk about what the population changes mean for San Diego and California at large. He said greater Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley all saw population declines exceeding San Diego's figures.
Not all California counties lost population, though. Both San Bernardino and Riverside counties saw significant population jumps over the same period.
"People seem to move from dense, coastal, expensive counties, into perhaps less-expensive, more Inland Empire counties," Freeman said.
Questions remain on whether San Diego's population dip will end up being a pandemic-era blip, or part of an ongoing trend.
"I think what's interesting, more than anything else, is the ... ability to work remotely and whether that sticks," he said.
