California

California is the most populous U.S. state, with an estimated population of 38,049,462 as of January 1, 2008. In 2006, 50 percent of the state's population was female. With regard to racial-ethnic background, 59.8 percent of state residents are white, 6.2 percent are African American, 12.3 percent are Asian American, and 35.9 percent are of Latino descent.

In California, the average family size is 3.54. Over 68 percent of households are family households, and 51 percent of those families have children under the age of 18. Of the family households, an overwhelming majority (73 percent) are married-couple families, 19 percent are headed by single mothers, and 8 percent are headed by a single father.

In 2006, there were 548,882 births in the state. Of those births, 29 percent were to non-Hispanic white mothers, 6 percent were to African American mothers, 12 percent were to Asian or Pacific Islander mothers, and 52 percent were to Latina mothers. That same year, the birth rate—the number of births per every 1,000 person in the state—was 15. The teen birth rate (ages 15–19) was 39. This rate has declined 47 percent between 1991 and 2005, which exceeded the decline for the national teen birth rate, which was 33 percent.

In 2005, 86 percent of California mothers began their prenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancy, which is greater than the percentage of U.S. mothers (78 percent). Of these mothers, 89 percent of white women, 82 percent of African American women, and 84 percent of Latina mothers began their prenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancies.

In 2006, California spent $124 on family planning for every woman in need, which was less than only two other states (Alabama and South Carolina). State programs, such as Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (PACT), offer teens and low-income couples easy access to free or affordable birth control. While pregnancies among teens have declined, that rate has increased among poor women in California. Overall, many laud this program for its success and the money it saves state and federal taxpayers from paying for unwanted pregnancies (more than $1.4 billion). However, many are concerned about the future of the PACT program because of the number of undocumented immigrant women who use these services. In September 2008, the Bush administration mandated that California change its system of determining the number of undocumented immigrants in its program, or risk losing its federal funding.

California's Pacific coast is a draw for many families, the vast majority (73 percent) of whom are married-couple families.

An estimated 80.8 percent of California residents aged 25 and older and 80.4 percent of women residents aged 25 and older hold at least a high school diploma or equivalent in 2006. Such percentages are lower than those for the U.S. population, as 85.4 percent of all residents and 85.9 percent of women residents have at least a high school diploma that same year. Moreover, 29.8 percent of California residents aged 25 and older and 28.8 percent of women residents aged 25 and older hold at least a bachelor's degree. These percentages are greater than those for the U.S. population, which are 28 percent for all residents and 26.9 percent for women residents.

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