Although the U.S. Census Bureau carries out hundreds of surveys every year, its most well-known duty is still to conduct the decennial census. Census results have several high profile applications: they are used to reapportion seats in the House of Representatives, to realign congressional districts, and as a factor in the formulas that distribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds each year. Because of the importance of this population count, procedural changes in the decennial census often reflect larger organizational shifts at the Census Bureau.
This section follows the evolution of the decennial census by detailing the events surrounding each of them. Political and technological changes, and the shifting public demand for information, have all shaped the modern census and the mission of the Census Bureau.
Census Day was April 1, 2010
Population
| 308,745,538 |
U.S. Resident Population |
| 87.4 |
Population per square mile of land area |
| 9.7 |
Percent increase of population from 2000 to 2010 |
| 50 |
Number of States |
Here you can find important information like enumeration, marketing efforts, and key dates regarding the 2010 Decennial Census.
Get a quick portrait of the U.S. by decade with pop culture milestones, population highlights, census details, and the 10 largest urban places.
Data files, for public use, with all personally identifiable information removed to ensure confidentiality. Users analyze, extract, customize and publish stats.
Stats displayed in columns and rows with title, ID, notes, sources and release date. Many tables are in downloadable XLS, CVS and PDF file formats.
Official publications released by the U.S. Census Bureau have a report number and often list the lead author(s).
Information about how we effectively administer the 2010 Decennial Census to stay on time and on budget.
Many Census Bureau photos of official events and operations are available for free download and use according our Multimedia Usage Policy.
Learn how the Decennial Census questionnaires have changed through the decades and download questionnaires from each Census decade.
Watch official Census Bureau videos here or on YouTube - our channel is uscensusbureau. Subscribe, share videos, see transcripts, write comments, and more.
Data made visual with charts, tables, maps, and other graphic elements. They are often interactive and contain text for labeling, not narration.