Dec. 21, 2010

Census: Alabama population has increased since 2000

STAFF REPORTS

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Results from the 2010 Census released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau show Alabama’s population has grown 7.5 percent over the past decade. 

The growth was not enough to alter the state’s representation in the U.S. Congress. The House delegation will remain at seven, where it has been since 1970.  

After the Alabama Legislature redraws the district lines next year, the average population in each of the seven House districts will be 686,140. For the last decade, the average population in each district was 637,304.

Elsewhere in the southeastern United States, Tennessee (9) and Mississippi (4) also saw their congressional delegation stay the same, while Georgia (14) gained one seat; Florida (27) gained two. 

Nationwide, Texas (36) was the biggest winner, gaining four seats. New York (27) and Ohio (16), the biggest losers, both lost a pair of seats. 

Alabama's population, as of April 1, 2010, is 4,779,736.   

The change lagged the national growth rate in the past decade of 9.7 percent. It also lagged the average growth rate in the Southeast U.S. of 14.3 percent.

The Southeast was the fastest growing region of the nation, closely followed by the West with 13.8 percent. The Northeast grew only 3.2 percent and the Midwest only 3.9 percent.

The U.S. population was 308,745,538, in 2010, up from the 2000 population of 281,421,906.