Census figures paint new picture of U.S.

The 2010 Census enumeration began last January in a remote corner of Alaska and in the months that followed, America stepped up and achieved a successful census. As mandated by the Constitution, the census counts every resident in the United States every 10 years to determine the number of seats each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives. Beginning this month, the nation will see the first results from the 2010 Census as a new portrait of America begins to take shape.

2010 Census results:

308,745,538: Official resident population of the United States on April 1, 2010.

9.7: Percentage increase of the nation’s population from 2000 to 2010.

37,253,956: Population of California, the most populous state in the country on April 1, 2010. The least populous was Wyoming (563,626).

35.1: Percentage growth of Nevada’s population from 2000 to 2010, the highest in the nation.

710,767: Average number of people each member of the U.S. House represents, as apportioned by the 2010 Census.

8: Number of states that gained congressional seats in 2010. They are Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

4: Number of congressional seats Texas gained, more than any other state.

10: Number of states that lost congressional seats in 2010. They are Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

32: Number of states that did not gain or lose a congressional seat in 2010.