2010 United States Census — national census of the United States taken in 2010
The 23rd U.S. census recorded a national population of 308,745,538, shaping congressional apportionment and federal resource allocation for the following decade.
Key Facts
- Census number
- 23rd United States census
- Total population counted
- 308,745,538 people
- Population growth since 2000
- 9.7%
- Temporary enumerators hired
- 635,000 people
- Texas population growth
- 4.3 million people
- California population growth
- 3.4 million people
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The U.S. Constitution mandates a decennial census to apportion congressional seats and electoral votes. By 2010, the 2000 census data was a decade old, necessitating an updated count to reflect population shifts driven by immigration, birth rates, and internal migration across states and cities.
On April 1, 2010, the 23rd United States census was conducted primarily through mail-in self-reporting, supplemented by 635,000 temporary enumerators who spot-checked selected neighborhoods. The count established a national population of 308,745,538, with Texas surpassing California in absolute population growth for the first time since 1930.
The census results triggered reapportionment of the House of Representatives, shifting political influence toward fast-growing Sun Belt states such as Texas. It was the first census in which every state exceeded 500,000 residents and every one of the 100 largest cities exceeded 200,000, reflecting broad national urbanization and population dispersal.