Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
House of Representatives

Census Numbers Give Hint of What’s to ­­­­Come in Washington

apport_chart4_appttot

The U.S. resident population has grown 9.7 percent over the last decade. There are now 308,745,538 of us here, according to brand-new numbers from the 2010 census. The states with the country's dominant metropolitan areas aren't growing nearly as fast as less dense states. And Congressional representation will follow suit.

The state of Nevada had the greatest rate of growth, at 35 percent. Only Michigan and Puerto Rico declined.

My own, entirely urban, non-state of the District of Columbia posted a population gain for the first time since 1950. It's no surprise to longtime residents: you can see it in the gentrification of our neighborhoods. But it’s a positive sign that the fear of race riots and crack is no longer keeping people out of the urban center. DDOT Director Gabe Klein tweets, “Don't discount the effect of transportation!” We still have a ways to go: there are still only about 600,000 D.C. residents, as opposed to 800,000 in 1950.

The most telling numbers are the regional growth stats. The Northeast and Midwest aren’t exactly shrinking – they each gained between 3 and 4 percent – but in comparison with the rest of the country, they are. The South and West each have about 14 percent more people than 10 years ago.

Census numbers dictate Congressional representation. Since the total number of representatives stays the same at 435, it’s the distribution that changes.

States gaining seats are Arizona (+1), Florida (+2), Georgia (+1), Nevada (+1), South Carolina (+1), Texas (+4), Utah (+1), and Washington (+1). Of those eight, five voted Republican in the last presidential election, and seven voted Republican in the two elections before that. Washington is the only reliably blue state gaining seats.

The losing states are Illinois (-1), Iowa (-1), Louisiana (-1), Massachusetts (-1), Michigan (-1), Missouri (-1), New Jersey (-1), New York (-2), Ohio (-2), and Pennsylvania (-1). Of those 10 states, six are solid Democratic and two are solid Republican, and two swing both ways.

This reapportionment also signals the diminishing power of some traditional urban powerhouses. With the rise of the South and the West, we see more people in spread-out cities, as opposed to the tighter urban plans of the industrial Northeast. Some cities in these rapidly growing states are working on building up their transit infrastructure – Phoenix and Fort Worth stand out as just two examples.

With the Republican windfall this November, sustainable transportation and smart growth advocates have already begun turning their rhetoric to the right, trying to relate to a more conservative, less urban mindset. These census numbers indicate that those arguments may serve us well for years to come.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Welcome Our Robot Overlords

The robotaxi field is growing, but with buyouts and now possibly layoffs at the U.S. DOT, will anyone be left to regulate them?

July 30, 2025

Shifting Gears to Urban Delivery to Bikes

Bikes can revolutionize delivery in urban areas. A new report outlines how policymakers can spur them in their communities.

July 30, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Reel in the Years

Republicans continue to roll back the Biden administration's legacy, most recently ending the DOT's Neighborhood Access and Equity program.

July 29, 2025

What Will It Take To Give Victims and Advocates a Voice at US DOT?

A new bill would put a dedicated "roadway safety advocate" in the halls of US DOT — and you can support it right now.

July 29, 2025

Monday’s Headlines E-Biking Away

There's a million destinations if we had a little help from the government to afford to buy an e-bike.

July 28, 2025

How Trump is Exploiting a Very Real Trucking Safety Concern to Crack Down on Immigrants

The Trump administration will crack down on truck drivers who don't speak English and the people who give them licenses. Some advocates say that anti-immigrant spin is distracting much broader safety problems that deserve bipartisan support.

July 28, 2025
See all posts