Articles and Updates
Arizona Now the 16th Most Populous State
December 21, 2010
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the 2010 Census showed the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538, this represents a 9.7% gain over the decade since Census 2000. State population counts and congressional apportionment numbers based on the just-finished decennial census were also released.
Arizona had 6,392,017 residents as of April 1, 2010, having gained 1,261,385 residents since the 2000 Census, and is now the 16th most populous state in the nation. These numbers mean Arizona will add one congressional seat, and in the future, will have 9 Congressional representatives in Washington. Arizona was only the 24th most populous state in 2000.
This new Census count for Arizona is well below what state demographers and the Census Bureau were expecting. The state estimate for 2009 was 6,683,100, while the Census Bureau estimated 6,595,778. So, the April 2010 count was some 200,000 – 300,000 shy, depending on the source of the estimate, of the year-earlier number. Either the estimates were way too high, or Arizona’s population has actually declined during the recession. Another possibility is that a large portion of population avoided being counted. It will likely be several months before these possibilities are measured.
In percentage terms, Arizona was the second fastest growing state in the Union. Growing by 24.6% since the last Census, Arizona was out-paced by only Nevada which grew by 35.1%. Two other Southwestern states, Utah and Idaho, followed close at Arizona’s heels with growth over the decade of 23.8% and 21.1%, respectively. Michigan’s population declined by 0.6%., while Ohio, Louisiana, and Rhode Island all grew by less than 2%.
In absolute numbers, Texas added the most residents of any state in the Union gaining 4,293,741 residents, followed by California (3,382,308), Florida (2,818,932), Georgia (1,501,200), North Carolina (1,486,170), and Arizona (1,261,385). Michigan came in last actually loosing 54,804 residents. Regionally, the South and the West picked up the bulk of the population increase, gaining 14,318,924 and 8,747,621, respectively. But the Northeast and the Midwest also grew, by 1,722,862 and 2,534,225, respectively.
The most populous state in the nation is California (37,253,956), followed by Texas (25,145,561) and New York (19,378,102). The least populous state is Wyoming (563,626). Also near the bottom of the ranking are Vermont (625,741) and North Dakota (673,591).
According to Census Bureau director Robert Groves, as a result of the new 2010 Census population counts, Texas will gain four new representatives, Florida two, and Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington will gain one each. Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania will all loose House seats.
Secretary Locke delivered the state apportionment counts to President Obama today, Dec. 21st, 10 days before the statutory deadline of Dec. 31st. 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. 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.
According to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke “the 2010 Census represented the most massive participation movement ever witnessed in our country. Approximately 74 percent of the households returned their census forms by mail; the remaining households were counted by census workers walking neighborhoods throughout the United States.” Secretary Locke also noted that the 2010 Census came in well under budget and expressed "a big thanks to the American public for its overwhelming response to the 2010 Census."
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.
Read more about 2010 Census results at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
--by Maile L. Nadelhoffer and Marshall J. Vest
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