Tag Archives: census

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US releases 2010 Census results

US releases its population statistics. According to the United States Census Bureau,  population of the United States was 308745538 on April 1. The US population has increased by 9.7 percent in a decade. However, this is the lowest registered growth of population for the country since 1930. The decelerating growth has occurred due to a sharp fall in birth rates and also due to less influx of immigrants to the United States following recent economic depression.

Texas with an increase of 4 million people accounts for largest population among all the states of in the United States, whereas Nevada registered highest growth rate –with 35 percent increase in a decade. Southern and western states showed a trend of largest growth in population and so did the states starting from Northeast and Midwest to South and West respectively.

The trend has been similar in last 40 years. The states with largest number of people have more congressional seats in comparison to states with lower population. California with highest population, therefore stands first in the Congress with 53 seats whereas Wyoming having least population occupies only one seat.

Following the Census results, there will be a significant change in the configuration of US Congress. There are 18 states likely to lose or gain seats in the House. Texas has an advantage of 4 seats while Ohio and New York will be losing 2 seats each in the Congress due to reduced population.

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California Gains No seat in House for Low Population Growth

California's shares of House of Representative seats remains same

A recent population tally figure of California unveiled by the US Census Bureau denies the state any new seat in the House of Representatives. The 2010 decennial population figures are in conflict with a higher population count carried out by the state.

California has been gaining new seats every ten years after it attained statehood in 1850. But this time the census figures show a very small percentage increase over the growth in the last decade. This denial has happened for the first time in the last 90 years.

In this regard, Hans Johnson, director of research at the Public Policy Institute of California said, “You might consider this an indicator of the maturation of the state. At some point, it had to stop growing as much as it had. California has always had a growing piece of the pie, and this is the first time we haven’t had that. That’s certainly going to disappoint some people.”

California is still the most populous state of the nation with a head count of 37,253,956, which is 10 percent more than the 2000 census count of 33,871,648.

The Census Bureau figures don’t match with the California’s state Department of Finance population figures. Earlier in December the state Department of Finance put the population tally at 38.8 million. While the Census Bureau sends questionnaires to households the state department takes housing, tax, and school data to count population and hence the difference.

California will have to contend with the 53 seats in the House of Representative. As per the Department of Finance’s figures it would have earned two more seats taking the number to 55. Ratcheting up the issue will be of no use as the Supreme Court has ruled in a lawsuit in 2000 that the Census Bureau’s figures are final.