2010 Census Results Released

The first portion of data recently collected in the 2010 census was released Tuesday morning, revealing what the U.S. Census Bureau is calling "a new portrait of America."

According to the 2010 census, the population of the United States has grown 9.7 percent since the 2000 census to a total of 308,745,538. California's official population has grown 10 percent over the past decade to 37,253,564. This data is up-to-date as of April 1, 2010.

Nevada saw the largest growth with a 35 percent population increase since the 2000 census.

For the first time in U.S. history, the population in the Western region of the country outnumbers the Midwest.

The U.S. Census Bureau is required by law to present the official updated counts of the national and state populations to the president of the United States by Dec. 31 of the year of data collection so that the correct apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives can be calculated and doled out. This is one of the main purposes of the census.

Twelve seats in the House of Representatives will be shifted based on the 2010 census results, but California—with 53 of the 435 seats—will see no changes.

In an attempt to make the data easier to understand, the U.S. Census Bureau has created an interactive map that shows population and apportionment changes and videos (see media box) about how the Congressional apportionment and the census itself works.

Though the Government Accountability Office ranked the 2010 census as one of the federal government programs most likely to fail, the census was completed on time and under budget by $1.87 billion, officials said.

Last week the 2005-2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates were released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Those figures are not actually 2010 census data but give the most up-to-date look at citywide demographics.

Here are some updated Rancho Bernardo (92128 ZIP code) demographics based on those estimates: