WASHINGTON D.C. — As mandated by the Constitution, the census counts every resident in the U.S. every 10 years to determine the number of seats each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives.
This month, the nation will see the first results from the 2010 Census.
The results. Official resident population of the U.S. as of April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538 . The percentage increase of the nation’s population from 2000 to 2010 was 9.7 percent.
The population for California, the most populous state in the country as of April 1, 2010, was 37,253,956 . The least populous state was Wyoming with 563,626.
The percentage growth of Nevada’s population from 2000 to 2010, the highest in the nation, was 35.1 percent. Average number of people each member of the U.S. House represents, as apportioned by the 2010 Census was 710,767.
Congressional seats. Eight states gained congressional seats in 2010. They were Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington. Texas gained the most congressional seats with four.
Ten states that lost congressional seats in 2010. They were Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Thirty-two states that did not gain or lose a congressional seat.
