U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Final State 2010 Census Population Totals for Legislative Redistricting

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Mar 24, 2011, 02:00 ET

Provides National Snapshot of U.S. Communities

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics have been released for communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These data have provided the first look at population counts for small areas and race, Hispanic origin, voting age and housing unit data released from the 2010 Census. With the release of data for all the states, national-level counts of these characteristics are now available.

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The Census Bureau has met its statutory obligation to provide redistricting data to the 50 states no later than April 1 of the year following the census. The delivery of these files is ahead of schedule, consistent with previous 2010 Census operations.

The official 2010 Census Redistricting Data Summary File can be used to redraw federal, state and local legislative districts under Public Law 94-171. The census data are used by state officials to realign congressional and state legislative districts in their states, taking into account population shifts since the 2000 Census.

Data for the nation show that the five most populous incorporated places and their 2010 Census counts are New York, 8,175,133; Los Angeles, 3,792,621; Chicago, 2,695,598; Houston, 2,099,451; and Philadelphia, 1,526,006. New York grew by 2.1 percent since the 2000 Census. Los Angeles grew by 2.6 percent, Chicago decreased by 6.9 percent, Houston grew by 7.5 percent, and Philadelphia grew by 0.6 percent.

The largest county is Los Angeles with a population of 9,818,605. Its population grew by 3.1 percent since 2000. The other counties in the top five include Cook, Ill., with a population of 5,194,675 (decrease of 3.4 percent); Harris, Texas, 4,092,459 (increase of 20.3 percent); Maricopa, Ariz., 3,817,117 (increase of 24.2 percent); and San Diego, 3,095,313 (increase of 10.0 percent).

Coming in April: National Summary File of Redistricting Data

In April, the Census Bureau will release the National Summary File of Redistricting Data. It will provide the same population, housing unit counts and demographic characteristics for the United States and other cross-state geographies, such as regions, divisions, metropolitan areas and American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian areas.

Description of Five Custom Tables

In the five custom tables attached to this news release, the first (Table 1) shows the most populous counties and incorporated places in 2010, their change since the 2000 Census and their population rank for both decades.

Table 2 shows data for all ages and for those 18 and older for the Hispanic or Latino population, as well as for people who reported one race and those who reported two or more races. This table also shows the numeric and percent change in the population by race and Hispanic origin between 2000 and 2010.

Table 3 is similar to Table 2. However, it shows data for the six "race alone or in combination" categories. The concept "race alone or in combination" includes people who reported only a single race (e.g., Asian) and people who reported that race in combination with one or more of the other major race groups (i.e., white, black or African-American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and some other race).

The concept "race alone or in combination," represents the maximum number of people who reported as that major race group, either alone or in combination with another race(s). The sum of the six individual "race alone or in combination" categories may add to more than the total population because people who reported more than one race were tallied in each race category.

For people who reported two or more races, Table 4 shows the population in each of the 15 combinations of two races (for example, the number of people who reported being both white and black or African-American).

Table 5 shows the population in the major race categories and of Hispanic or Latino origin for the nation's most populous counties and incorporated places.

Description of Two Custom Maps

The attached custom maps show the total population by county for the nation and the percent change in the population by county.

How to Find Assistance

Additional information about the redistricting data program, including news releases for other states, can be found online at http://2010.census.gov/news/press-kits/redistricting.html. More information on the redistricting data program is also available at http://www.census.gov/rdo/data.

For further information about 2010 Census redistricting data, contact:

Census Redistricting Data Office, U.S. Census Bureau, 301-763-4039; e-mail: [email protected];
State Data Centers http://www.census.gov/sdc/network.html

Race and Hispanic Origin Data

The Census Bureau collects race and Hispanic origin information following the U.S. Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) standards for collecting and tabulating data on race and ethnicity. In October 1997, the OMB issued the current standards, which identify five race groups: white, black or African-American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. The Census Bureau also utilized a sixth category — "some other race." Respondents who reported only one race are shown in these six groups.

Individuals were first presented with the option to self-identify with more than one race in the 2000 Census, and this continued in the 2010 Census. People who identify with more than one race may choose to provide multiple races in response to the race question. The 2010 Census results provide new data on the size and makeup of the nation's multiracial population.

Respondents who reported more than one of the six race groups are included in the "two or more races" population. There are 57 possible combinations of the six race groups.

The Census Bureau included the "some other race" category for responses that could not be classified in any of the other race categories on the questionnaire. The vast majority of people who reported only as "some other race" were of Hispanic or Latino origin. Data on Hispanics or Latinos, who may be of any race, were obtained from a separate question on ethnicity.

Resources:

Custom tables

Map: Population totals (PDF/JPEG)

Map: Population change (PDF/JPEG)

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SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau