according to PPIC California’s continuing growth surge to as high as 48 million report surge to as high as 48 million it could hit 48 million by 2020 38 million 1.5 million more people left California for other states estimate wartime and postwar population boom wartime and postwar population boom Public Policy Institute of California predicts 1.5 million more people left California for other states in 1950, 10 million