California has the largest homeless population by far, with over 187,000 people, followed by New York, Washington, Florida, and Texas, though New York and Hawaii have the highest rates relative to their population, indicating severe housing crises. High living costs and housing scarcity are major factors in California, New York, and Washington, while warm weather attracts people in Florida and Texas, according to security.org and usnews.com.
California—also the most populous state—has the largest homeless population in the country, at more than 187,000 people counted in January, 2024. While total counts often mirror overall population, there are notable exceptions such as New York (#2 in homelessness, #4 by total residents), Washington (#3 vs.
Most homeless people lived in California, New York, Florida, and Washington in 2022, according to the annual Homeless Assessment Report.
The highest rates of homelessness among states are in Hawaii (465 per 100,000), followed by New York (399) and California (367). You can access the HUD estimations here. The lowest homeless counts per capita come in Mississippi (81 per 100,000), Indiana (94) and Kansas (94).
As of February 2022 more than 40% of people experiencing homelessness in California lived in Los Angeles County. The homeless population there increased by 65% between 2020 and 2022.
“Today, homelessness feels as inevitable a part of the urban landscape as traffic jams and strip malls,” the journalists accurately observed. “Los Angeles has more people living on the streets than any other city in the United States, which almost certainly makes it the homelessness capital of the developed world.
$750 a month was given to homeless people in California. What they reported spending it on is more evidence that universal basic income works.
West Coast
Although the causes of homelessness are many, economic hardship and lack of affordable housing are the two leading causes of homelessness.
Philippines, Manila
Manila is the city with the highest estimated rate of homelessness in the world with 3 million homeless.
Homelessness and Age
The average age of adults experiencing homelessness is 45 years. The average age of unaccompanied homeless youth (aged 24 and below) is 18 years. The average age of older adults (aged 50 and above) experiencing homelessness is 66 years.
California has 12% of the overall U.S. population, but about 30% of the nation's homeless population (about 172,000 total). The cost and lack of housing is a primary reason.
1. From 2018-2024, the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night increased nearly 40% to over 771,000 people, with nearly four in ten (36%) staying in unsheltered locations. The HUD PIT survey counts people experiencing homelessness in both sheltered and unsheltered settings on a single night.
The state of California currently has the highest homeless population, with about 161,548 homeless people. This number represents 27.89% of the total homeless population in the United States.
Through out the 56 days, the Council has a duty to work with you to take reasonable steps to secure accommodation. After the 56 days the Council may be satisfied that they have done everything it can to help you find accommodation.
California provides various grants, one-time payments, and emergency financial assistance programs to support homeless individuals and help them transition into stable housing. These programs are crucial in addressing the immediate needs of homeless individuals and facilitating long-term solutions.
More precisely, the law says cities cannot bar people or organizations from providing homeless residents with legal services, medical care or things needed for survival, such as food, water, blankets, pillows and materials to protect themselves from the elements.
Skid Row, Los Angeles. Skid Row is the unofficial name for a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles officially known as Central City East.
The five cities with the largest homeless populations – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Denver – combined were home to more than one-third of all people in the U.S. who experienced homelessness in 2024.
The term "skid road" dates back to the 17th century, when it referred to a log road, used to skid or drag logs through woods and bog. The term was in common usage in the mid-19th century and came to refer not just to the corduroy roads themselves, but to logging camps and mills all along the Pacific Coast.
Population: LA County's homeless population is large because its overall population is large. The county, the largest by population in the nation, comprises 88 cities over 4,751 square miles with 10 million residents. It is densely populated, with a large urban area that includes the City of Los Angeles.
Black Californians are disproportionately likely to experience homelessness, and American Indian and Pacific Islander Californians are also especially affected.
The “Skid Row”1 of Los Angeles is a portion of the area in downtown Los Angeles east of the Financial District and the Historic Downtown Center, partially overlaying the core of the downtown Industrial District.