Dec. 22, 2010
CENSUS BUREAU: U.S. Population Increases Almost 10% to 308,745,538
WV Gains 2.5% to Keep Three House Seats; Texas Gains 4.3 Million, the Biggest Numerical Gain
By David M. Kinchen
Huntingtonnews.net Staff
The U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010 that the 2010 Census showed the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538, an increase of 9.7 percent over the 2000 population of 281,421,906.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Acting Commerce Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank and Census Bureau Director Robert Groves unveiled the official counts at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
“A big thanks to the American public for its overwhelming response to the 2010 Census,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “The result was a successful count that came in on time and well under budget, with a final 2010 Census savings of $1.87 billion.”
The U.S. resident population represents the total number of people in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The most populous state was California (37,253,956); the least populous, Wyoming (563,626). The state that gained the most numerically since the 2000 Census was Texas (up 4,293,741 to 25,145,561) and the state that gained the most as a percentage of its 2000 Census count was Nevada (up 35.1% to 2,700,551).
Regionally, the South and the West picked up the bulk of the population increase, 14,318,924 and 8,747,621, respectively. But the Northeast and the Midwest also grew: 1,722,862 and 2,534,225.
Additionally, Puerto Rico’s resident population was 3,725,789, a 2.2 percent decrease over the number counted a decade earlier.
Just before today’s announcement, Locke delivered the apportionment counts to President Obama, 10 days before the statutory deadline of Dec. 31. The apportionment totals were calculated by a congressionally defined formula, in accordance with Title 2 of the U.S. Code, to divide among the states the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The apportionment population consists of the resident population of the 50 states, plus the overseas military and federal civilian employees and their dependents living with them who could be allocated to a state. Each member of the House represents, on average, about 710,767 people. The populations of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are excluded from the apportionment population, as they do not have voting seats in Congress.
“The decennial count has been the basis for our representative form of government since 1790,” Groves said. “At that time, each member of the House represented about 34,000 residents. Since then, the House has more than quadrupled in size, with each member now representing about 21 times as many constituents.”
President Obama will transmit the apportionment counts to the 112th Congress during the first week of its first regular session in January. The reapportioned Congress will be the 113th, which convenes in January 2013.
Beginning in February and wrapping up by March 31, 2011, the Census Bureau will release demographic data to the states on a rolling basis so state governments can start the redistricting process.
West Virginia's population grew by 2.5 percent in the 10-year period, according to the report.
West Virginia will maintain its three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, but neighboring states aren't as fortunate. Both Ohio and Pennsylvania will lose one seat.
West Virginia's population was just over 1.8 million following the 2000 Census.
The overall U.S. population announced Tuesday was 308, 745, 538.
California will have 53 members of Congress, based in its population of 37.2 million counted in the 2010 Census, the report stated. This is the same number from the 2000 apportionment. It’s the first time since 1930’s Census that California has not added at least one seat. States that have gained congressional clout include Texas and Florida. Those that have lost include Michigan, the only state to lose population. Still, with 53 members of Congress, and a population of more than 37.2 million, California dominates the nation.
Masschusetts will lose one seat, even though the Bay State's population has grown, according to the new figures -- rising 3.1 percent to 6,547,629 from 6,349,097 in 2000 -- but not enough to offset the increases in the South and West, which are again gaining seats in the 435-member US House at the expense of the Democratic-dominated Northeast. A total of 12 seats shifted, affecting 18 states, Census officials said.
The South grew by more than 14 percent and the West grew by 13.8 percent.
Texas grew by 20.6 percent to 25,145,56, while Florida surged 17.6 percent to 18.8 million. Other states with more than 15 percent growth included Arizona (24.6), Colorado (16.9), Florida (17.6), Georgia (18.3), Idaho (21.1), Nevada (35.1), North Carolina (18.5), and South Carolina (15.3). The only state to lose population was Michigan, which dropped 0.6 percent. Rhode Island grew just 0.4 percent.
Texas will gain four new members of Congress, more than any other state, according to calculations released by the Census Bureau. Louisiana, bordering Texas on the east, will lose one seat.
The Texas gains are good news for Republicans, since Texas already is a solidly Republican state.
Texas currently has 32 Congressional seats; it gained two after the 2000 Census.
Congress raised the number of members of the House of Representatives to 435 in 1911, and every state is assigned one seat. The remaining 385 are distributed to states using a complicated formula to account for population. Wyoming, the least populous state, has one member, as does Montana, South Dakota, Delaware and Vermont. Each state has two members of the U.S. Senate.
The unparalleled affect of the Great Recession on Michigan spurred massive migration that will cost it another congressional seat as the state was the only one in the nation to lose population this decade, according to Census figures.
Michigan's population was down 0.6 percent from 9.94 million in 2000 to 9,883,640 in 2010. The state lost more than 54,000 people in the decade, the first time a large industrial state has lost population since New York lost population in the 1970s.
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CENSUS BUREAU: U.S. Population Increases Almost 10% to 308,745,538
WV Gains 2.5% to Keep Three House Seats; Texas Gains 4.3 Million, the Biggest Numerical Gain
By David M. Kinchen
Huntingtonnews.net Staff
The U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010 that the 2010 Census showed the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538, an increase of 9.7 percent over the 2000 population of 281,421,906.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Acting Commerce Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank and Census Bureau Director Robert Groves unveiled the official counts at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
“A big thanks to the American public for its overwhelming response to the 2010 Census,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “The result was a successful count that came in on time and well under budget, with a final 2010 Census savings of $1.87 billion.”
The U.S. resident population represents the total number of people in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The most populous state was California (37,253,956); the least populous, Wyoming (563,626). The state that gained the most numerically since the 2000 Census was Texas (up 4,293,741 to 25,145,561) and the state that gained the most as a percentage of its 2000 Census count was Nevada (up 35.1% to 2,700,551).
Regionally, the South and the West picked up the bulk of the population increase, 14,318,924 and 8,747,621, respectively. But the Northeast and the Midwest also grew: 1,722,862 and 2,534,225.
Additionally, Puerto Rico’s resident population was 3,725,789, a 2.2 percent decrease over the number counted a decade earlier.
Just before today’s announcement, Locke delivered the apportionment counts to President Obama, 10 days before the statutory deadline of Dec. 31. The apportionment totals were calculated by a congressionally defined formula, in accordance with Title 2 of the U.S. Code, to divide among the states the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The apportionment population consists of the resident population of the 50 states, plus the overseas military and federal civilian employees and their dependents living with them who could be allocated to a state. Each member of the House represents, on average, about 710,767 people. The populations of the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are excluded from the apportionment population, as they do not have voting seats in Congress.
“The decennial count has been the basis for our representative form of government since 1790,” Groves said. “At that time, each member of the House represented about 34,000 residents. Since then, the House has more than quadrupled in size, with each member now representing about 21 times as many constituents.”
President Obama will transmit the apportionment counts to the 112th Congress during the first week of its first regular session in January. The reapportioned Congress will be the 113th, which convenes in January 2013.
Beginning in February and wrapping up by March 31, 2011, the Census Bureau will release demographic data to the states on a rolling basis so state governments can start the redistricting process.
West Virginia's population grew by 2.5 percent in the 10-year period, according to the report.
West Virginia will maintain its three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, but neighboring states aren't as fortunate. Both Ohio and Pennsylvania will lose one seat.
West Virginia's population was just over 1.8 million following the 2000 Census.
The overall U.S. population announced Tuesday was 308, 745, 538.
California will have 53 members of Congress, based in its population of 37.2 million counted in the 2010 Census, the report stated. This is the same number from the 2000 apportionment. It’s the first time since 1930’s Census that California has not added at least one seat. States that have gained congressional clout include Texas and Florida. Those that have lost include Michigan, the only state to lose population. Still, with 53 members of Congress, and a population of more than 37.2 million, California dominates the nation.
Masschusetts will lose one seat, even though the Bay State's population has grown, according to the new figures -- rising 3.1 percent to 6,547,629 from 6,349,097 in 2000 -- but not enough to offset the increases in the South and West, which are again gaining seats in the 435-member US House at the expense of the Democratic-dominated Northeast. A total of 12 seats shifted, affecting 18 states, Census officials said.
The South grew by more than 14 percent and the West grew by 13.8 percent.
Texas grew by 20.6 percent to 25,145,56, while Florida surged 17.6 percent to 18.8 million. Other states with more than 15 percent growth included Arizona (24.6), Colorado (16.9), Florida (17.6), Georgia (18.3), Idaho (21.1), Nevada (35.1), North Carolina (18.5), and South Carolina (15.3). The only state to lose population was Michigan, which dropped 0.6 percent. Rhode Island grew just 0.4 percent.
Texas will gain four new members of Congress, more than any other state, according to calculations released by the Census Bureau. Louisiana, bordering Texas on the east, will lose one seat.
The Texas gains are good news for Republicans, since Texas already is a solidly Republican state.
Texas currently has 32 Congressional seats; it gained two after the 2000 Census.
Congress raised the number of members of the House of Representatives to 435 in 1911, and every state is assigned one seat. The remaining 385 are distributed to states using a complicated formula to account for population. Wyoming, the least populous state, has one member, as does Montana, South Dakota, Delaware and Vermont. Each state has two members of the U.S. Senate.
The unparalleled affect of the Great Recession on Michigan spurred massive migration that will cost it another congressional seat as the state was the only one in the nation to lose population this decade, according to Census figures.
Michigan's population was down 0.6 percent from 9.94 million in 2000 to 9,883,640 in 2010. The state lost more than 54,000 people in the decade, the first time a large industrial state has lost population since New York lost population in the 1970s.
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