As of April 1, 2010, the date of the 2010 United States Census, the nine most populous U.S. states contain slightly more than half of the total population. The 25 least populous states contain less than one-sixth of the total population. California, the most populous state, contains more people than the 21 least populous states combined, and Wyoming, the least populous state, has a population less than any of the 31 most populous U.S. cities.
Method
The United States Census counts the persons residing in the United States including citizens, non-citizen permanent residents and non-citizen long-term visitors.[2] Civilian and military federal employees serving abroad and their dependents are counted in their home state.[3]
Electoral apportionment
Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau is charged with making an actual count of all residents by state and territory. The accuracy of this count is then tested after the fact, and sometimes statistically significant undercounts or overcounts occur. For example, for the 2020 decennial census, 14 states had significant miscounts ranging from 1.5% to 6.6%. While these adjustments may be reflected in government programs over the following decade, the 10-year representative apportionments discussed below are not changed to reflect the miscount.[4]
The Electoral College, every four years, elects the President and Vice President of the United States based on the popular vote in each state and the District of Columbia. Each state's number of votes in the Electoral College is equal to its number of members in the Senate plus members in the House of Representatives.[5]
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution additionally grants the District of Columbia (D.C.), which is not part of any state, as many Electoral College votes as it would have if it were a state, while having no more votes than the least populous state (currently, Wyoming). Since the U.S. Constitution guarantees every state at least one member of the U.S. House of Representatives and two members of the U.S. Senate, every state has at least three Electoral College votes. Thus, the Electoral College has 538 members (100 senators, plus 435 representatives due to the limit imposed by the Reapportionment Act of 1929, plus 3 members for the District of Columbia).[5]Territories of the United States such as Puerto Rico are not included in the Electoral College: people in those territories cannot vote directly for the President of the United States,[6] although they may participate in the partisan nominating primaries and caucuses.[7]
^ a b cResident population only; does not include overseas population. In 2022, the Census Bureau announced the following undercounts (missed residents) in the 2020 census: Arkansas (−5.04%), Florida (−3.48%), Illinois (−1.97%), Mississippi (−4.11%), Tennessee (−4.78%) and Texas (−1.92%). These were the overcounts: Delaware (+5.45%), Hawaii (+6.79%), Massachusetts (+2.24%), Minnesota (+3.84%), New York (+3.44%), Ohio (+1.49%), Rhode Island (+5.05%) and Utah (+2.59%).[9]
^ Effective from 2022 onward.
^ Effective from the 2022 elections onward. Each state has a number of votes in the Electoral College equal to its number of senators (two) and representatives in the Congress, while D.C. is granted three electoral votes. The Electoral College is used to elect the President and Vice President of the United States.
"National Totals: Vintage 2015". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
"2010 Census Tables". U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
"Congressional Apportionment: 2010 Census Brief". U. S. Census Bureau. November 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
"2009 Census estimates". U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 7, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1995, U.S. Census Bureau, Section 29: Outlying Areas, Table No. 1347. Land Area and Population Characteristics, by [Outlying] Area: 1990 (page 828). Retrieved May 28, 2011
Specific
^Geographic Terms and Concepts - Island Areas of the United States, U.S. Census Bureau, archived from the original on December 10, 2016, retrieved March 19, 2019
^"FAQ: Does the Census Bureau collect data on the number of unauthorized migrants?". U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 13, 2009.[permanent dead link]
^"FAQ: Will 2010 Census apportionment population counts also include any Americans overseas". U. S Census Bureau. Retrieved May 13, 2009.[permanent dead link]
^Wang, Hansi Lo (May 19, 2022). "These 14 states had significant miscounts in the 2020 census". NPR. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
^ a bOffice of the Federal Register. "A Procedural Guide to the Electoral College". National Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
^Shah, Dayna K.; Reich, Mary W. (November 1997). U.S. Insular Areas: Application of the U.S. Constitution (PDF) (Report). Washington, D.C.: U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO/OGC-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 29, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
^Curry, Tom (May 28, 2008). "Nominating, but not voting for president". NBC News. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
^ a b"US Census Quickfacts, Population Estimates, July 2023" (PDF). Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
^"U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2020 Undercount and Overcount Rates by State and the District of Columbia". Census.gov. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
^"2020 Island Areas Censuses: Guam, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Table 1. Population of Guam: 2010 and 2020". October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
^"2020 Island Areas Censuses: U.S. Virgin Islands, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Table 1. Population of the United States Virgin Islands: 2010 and 2020". October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
^"2020 Island Areas Censuses: American Samoa, Population and Housing Unit Counts, Table 1. Population of American Samoa: 2010 and 2020". October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
^"2020 Island Areas Censuses: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Population and Housing Unit Counts, Table 1. Population of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: 2010 and 2020". October 28, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
^"U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2019.