Doesn't it seem a little more crowded? The latest estimates from the state Department of Finance show California's population has topped 38 million.
California added 409,000 residents in 2008, bringing its population to 38.3 million to start 2009.
Los Angeles remains the state's largest city with more than 4 million residents, but tiny Sand City in Monterey County had the biggest percentage growth. Its population jumped 4.7 percent, to 312 residents.
San Jose's population topped 1 million last year, making it the 10th city in the U.S. with at least a million residents. It's the third largest city in California, behind Los Angeles and San Diego, which has 1.3 million residents.
San Francisco, the state's fourth largest city, grew by 1.2 percent for a population of 845,559.
