Census Bureau projects senior numbers growth

Jessica Pfau Ardmore Village
The Daily Ardmoreite
December 27, 2010

Every 10 years, the U. S. Census Bureau counts each resident in the United States. This amazing feat is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of our Constitution.

This past year, approximately 74 percent of households returned their census questionnaire forms by mail. The remaining households were counted by census workers walking door-to-door. The 2010 Census is the 23rd census in our nation's history.

The 2010 data collected is still being processed and tabulated. The national and state population totals were released, however, on December 21, 2010. These results show the population of the United States has grown 9.7 percent to 308,745,538 since the last census (in 2000), which indicated the U.S. population was 281,421,906. Oklahoma's population increased to 3,751,351, up from 3,450,654 in 2000.

In a recent press release, the U.S. Census Bureau reported, "The most populous state was California (37,253,956); the least populous, Wyoming (563,626).

The state that gained the most numerically since the 2000 Census was Texas (up 4,293,741 to 25,145,561) and the state that gained the most as a percentage of its 2000 Census count was Nevada (up 35.1 percent to 2,700,551)."

Census information affects many things. Most immediately, these results will shape the number of seats each state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives, starting with the 2012 elections. Each member of the House represents, on average, about 710,767 people.

Because of population changes, eighteen states will have changes in their number of seats, including Texas (+4), Florida (+2), New York (-2), and Ohio (-2). Oklahoma will remain the same with five Representatives.

Additionally, the information collected by the census helps to determine how billions of dollars of federal funding is spent on infrastructure and services like hospitals, schools, senior centers, and emergency services.

Robert Groves, Director of the United States Census Bureau, explains, "Just like we can't survive without roads and bridges, the country doesn't function well without an updated Census to distribute funds to areas that most need them and to support community decisions about their own future."

More results and analysis of the 2010 Census will be released throughout 2011 and 2012.

In addition to releasing the 2010 census information, the U.S. Census Bureau has estimated the future growth of the U.S. population and specific demographics within the United States. In a May 2010 report, the Census Bureau announced that "between 2010 and 2050, the United States is projected to experience rapid growth in its older population. In 2050, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to be 88.5 million, more than double its projected population of 40.2 in 2010."

"This aging of the population will have wide-ranging implications for the country. and will present challenges to policy makers and programs, such as Social Security and Medicare. It will also affect families, businesses, and health care providers."

This increase in the number of older persons is primarily due to the baby boomers. By 2030, all of the baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) will have turned 65 years old.

For more information on the 2010 Census and on the population projections, please see the United States Census Bureau Web site, www.census.gov.