The Inland Empire today is home to 4,, people. By , Riverside and San Bernardino counties are expected to reach a combined population of 5,, residents. According to California Department of Finance projections , by , Riverside County will have 3 million residents, up from 2. San Bernardino County is expected to have 2. That spike was due to the poorer economic conditions in the rest of the country, and not a typical state of affairs, according to Myers.
In the s, California grew by more than 6 million residents. The rate of growth slowed to 4 million in the s, 3 million in the s and 2. California was the only part of the U.
Texas almost went bankrupt. That, in turn, drew immigrants to work in the service economy, Myers said. But as populations age in other areas of the U. Making the Inland Empire an attractive destination and place to live for the people of needs to be on the to-do list for the next 25 years, said Paul Granillo, president of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership.
Granillo hopes leaders will work to attract major league sports teams, and more amenities comparable to its world-famous music festivals. But Richard Kent Green, a professor of policy, planning and development at USC, says that leaders need to focus on the fundamentals, including school quality and mass transit.
To attract a more economically diverse group of residents, the region needs to give future residents the option to not to drive to work, including building high-density housing near mass transit, an approach that cities like Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Montclair are already pursuing.
