2010 Census Results

While driving to work this morning, I listened to C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" program with Census Director Groves who discussed the macro-level results of the 2010 census released on Tuesday.  The population of the United States as of April 1, 2010 is 308,745,538. That is a 9.7% percent rise in population since the 2000 census.  California remains the most populous state at more than 37 million people, while Wyoming remains the least at just more than 500,000 residents.  A definite shift is happening in terms of residents flocking from the Northeast and Midwest and moving to the South and West.  Texas gained the most House seats (+4), while Ohio lost the most House seats (-2).

It was an extremely informative interview with Director Groves and one I would encourage everyone to watch.  Click here for a link to C-SPAN's web page on this issue with a link to the video of this morning's program.

Director Groves explained that the micro-level data is currently being produced by the social scientists and mathematicians and will be finalized over the next few weeks and months and will then be provided to the state legislatures for gerrymandering.  Even those states that did not gain or lose seats can change the district maps based on the micro-level data.  The effects of these state-by-state changes to House districts, whether added, lost, or redrawn, will be part of the 2012 election cycle.  The significant gains made the Republicans within the state legislatures and governorships this past November will play a major role in the gerrymandering process and could spell long-term doom for the Democrats in many of the "purple" states.  As President Obama once told us, "Elections have consequences".