News from California:

California’s population growth in 2018 was the slowest in state history, a new study shows, as births declined, student enrollment fell and the death rate continued to climb as baby boomers aged.

The state added 186,807 residents last year, bringing California’s estimated total population to 39,927,315 people as of Jan. 1, according to new population estimates released by the state Department of Finance on Wednesday.

The overall growth rate slipped to 0.47% last year from 0.78% in 2017, the slowest since data collection started in 1900, department spokesman H.D. Palmer said. Births in the state were down by more than 18,000 compared with the previous year.

“Growth in California has stalled out,” said Dowell Myers, a professor of demography and urban planning at USC. “That is pretty amazing “

LA County actually had a very slight drop in population:

Los Angeles County, still the largest county in the state, saw population growth fall to 0%, according to state officials. The number of residents dropped from 10,254,658 to 10,253,716 by the end of 2018. This is the first time since 2010 the population dropped in the county, according to state officials.

Of course, the 405 still sucks, parking still sucks, and finding housing (affordable or not) can be a bitch… but we do have the weather and beaches.