Resident Population for the United States and by State

The first results from Census 2000, resident population and apportionment population for each state and the United States, were released by the U.S. Census Bureau on December 28, 2000. The resident population count of the U.S. on April 1, 2000 was 281,421,906 -- a 13.2 percent increase and 32.7 million more persons than the 1990 Census count of 248,709,873.

In Illinois, the resident population on April 1, 2000 was 12,419,293 -- an increase of 988,691 (8.6 percent) from 10 years earlier. Illinois' population gain of almost a million people is three times the population increase the state experienced between 1970 and 1990.

Illinois also regained the status of being the fifth most populous state in the nation in 2000, retaking that notoriety from Pennsylvania, which took it from us in 1990.

The 2000 Census indicates the most populous state in the country is California (33,871,648), followed by Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois. California also gained the most population since the 1990 census -- 4,111,627. Illinois' gain of 988,000+ residents was the ninth largest of all states and the highest of any state in the Midwest or Northeast (the eight states with greater population gains were in the South or West and included CA, TX, FL, GA, AZ, NC, WA and CO).

Regionally, the South and West picked up the bulk of the nation's population increase -- 14,790,890 and 10,411,850, respectively. The Northeast grew by 2,785,149 and Midwest by 4,724,144. Illinois, by itself, accounted for 21 percent of the entire population gain in the Midwest.

Data available in the tables below include the resident population of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for April 1, 2000 (Census 2000) and for April 1, 1990 (1990 Census). Consistent with the January 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Department of Commerce v. House of Representatives, 525 U.S. 316, 119 S. Ct. 765 [1999]), the resident population counts for April 1, 2000 do not reflect the use of statistical sampling to correct for over counts or undercounts.

Important note: Census 2000 population counts for counties, townships, and municipalities in Illinois will be released during March 2001. The data will include total population and population 18 years and older (voting age) by race and Hispanic/Latino origin for these geographic areas and census geographic areas (census tracts and census blocks).

Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 (Census 2000) and April 1, 1990 (1990 Census) and State Rank as of 2000 and State Rank as of 1990.
PDF (42k) | XLS (23k) | TXT (6k)

Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 (Census 2000) and April 1, 1990 (1990 Census) and Numeric and Percent Change for 1990 to 2000.
PDF (42k) | XLS (28k) | TXT (8k)

Historical Resident Population Chart for Illinois, including Apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives,
Illinois.PDF (17k) | llinois.XLS (34k)

Congressional Apportionment

The Constitution states that the fundamental reason for conducting the decennial census of the United States is to determine how many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives each of the 50 states is entitled to have. (The distribution of members in the other chamber of the U.S. Congress, the Senate, is unaffected by the apportionment process, as the Constitution provides two senators for each state.)

Who's Counted?

The apportionment calculation is based upon the total resident population (citizens and noncitizens) of the 50 states. In Census 2000, the apportionment population also includes U.S. Armed Forces personnel and federal civilian employees stationed outside the United States (and their dependents living with them) that can be allocated back to a home state. These two groups were included in the apportionment population in the 1970 and 1990 censuses, also. The population of the District of Columbia is not included in the apportionment population.

How is Apportionment Calculated?

The Constitution provides that each state will have a minimum of one member in the House of Representatives. The current size of the House (435 seats) has not changed since the apportionment following the 1910 census, so the apportionment calculation for Census 2000 will divide 385 (435-50) seats among the 50 states.

Congress decides the method used to calculate the apportionment and that method has changed over time. The current method, adopted by Congress in 1941 and used through the 1990 census, is the "method of equal proportions. This will be the method used in Census 2000, according to provisions of Title 2, U.S. Code.

How Many U.S. Representatives will Illinois have?

Using the current method of determining reapportionment, Illinois will lose one of its seats in the U.S. House of Representatives -- dropping from 20 to 19 seats -- despite a population gain of nearly one million from 1990 to 2000. Other states in the Midwest -- Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio -- will also lose a seat, due to the more rapid growth occurring elsewhere in the nation. Since 1930, Illinois has seen its number of House seats decline from 27 to the current 19 as the nation's population has moved south and west.

Following the receipt of 2000 Census data for small areas in March 2001, the state legislature will redraw the congressional district boundaries to reflect both the reduced number of seats (19) and the changing distribution of the state's population, to make each district's population roughly equal.

Based on Illinois' 1990 population (11.4 million), each House district represented approximately 570,000 people. The loss of a seat, combined with a gain in population, means each of Illinois' representatives will now represent approximately 654,000 people. (The loss of a seat in the U.S. House also results in a loss of one electoral vote in the Electoral College.)

States that gained two seats include Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas. States gaining one seat are California, Colorado, Nevada and North Carolina. States that lost two seats include New York and Pennsylvania. States losing one seat are Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. A total of 12 seat changes will take place and involve 18 states.

Essentially, Illinois would have had to count more than 152,000 additional residents in the 2000 Census to retain 20 seats in the House of Representatives.

Availability Note: Small area population totals that will be used for legislative and congressional redistricting will be available by April 1, 2001.

Additional 2000 Census data products, including population counts by age, race, sex and Hispanic/Latino origin and other population and housing characteristics, will be released periodically during 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Apportionment Population and Number of Representatives, by States: Census 2000
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Important note: the apportionment count will not equal the resident population for a particular state because it also includes the state's Armed Forces personnel and federal civilian employees stationed overseas.

Additional background information on resident population and apportionment counts may be found on the Census Bureau's Web site at http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html