California Population Nears 37.7 Million, But Growth Slow

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California added about 250,000 residents last year, bringing the total population to just under 37.7 million as the state continues with modest growth.

Estimates released Tuesday by the state Department of Finance show California's population grew less than 1 percent in 2011, as it did the year before.

The slow growth is particularly reflected in the housing industry, which has been in a slump since the recession began in 2007. The finance department says the state added 35,500 homes in 2011, compared to 198,000 in the peak year of 2005.

Los Angeles, the state's largest city, grew by half a percent to more than 3.8 million. Several Central Valley towns that have prisons lost population because of a decline in the number of state inmates.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.