1970 United States census

19th United States national census

Nineteenth census
of the United States

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| ← 1960 | April 1, 1970 | 1980 →

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U.S. Census Bureau seal

1970 U.S. census logo

General information
Country| United States
Results
Total population| 203,392,031 ( 13.4%)
Most populous state| California
19,953,134
Least populous state| Alaska
302,173

The 1970 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 203,392,031, an increase of 13.4 percent over the 179,323,175 persons enumerated during the 1960 census.

This was the first census since 1820 in which New York was not the most populous state—California overtook it in population in January 1963. This was also the first census in which all states recorded a population of over 300,000, and the first in which a city in the geographic South—Houston—recorded a population of over 1 million.

Percentage population change by state since the previous census (1960)

Accurate racial census data was required by both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the 1970 Census changed to identify race on the basis of self-identification rather than by government census enumerators.[1] Virtually all of the key items from the 1960 census were retained.[2]

## Data availability

[edit]

Microdata from the 1970 census are freely available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System. These data were originally created and disseminated by DUALabs. Personally identifiable information will be available in 2042.[3]

## State rankings

[edit]

Rank  | State  | Population as of
1970 census  | Population as of
1960 census  | Change  | Percent
change

|
|
|
|
|

1  |  California | 19,953,134  | 15,717,204  | 4,235,930  | 27.0%
2  |  New York | 18,236,967  | 16,782,304  | 1,454,663  | 8.7%
3  |  Pennsylvania | 11,793,909  | 11,319,366  | 474,543  | 4.2%
4  |  Texas | 11,196,730  | 9,579,677  | 1,617,053  | 16.9%
5  |  Illinois | 11,113,976  | 10,081,158  | 1,032,818  | 10.2%
6  |  Ohio | 10,652,017  | 9,706,397  | 945,620  | 9.7%
7  |  Michigan | 8,875,083  | 7,823,194  | 1,051,889  | 13.4%
8  |  New Jersey | 7,168,164  | 6,066,782  | 1,101,382  | 18.2%
9  |  Florida | 6,789,443  | 4,951,560  | 1,837,883  | 37.1%
10  |  Massachusetts | 5,689,170  | 5,148,578  | 540,592  | 10.5%
11  |  Indiana | 5,193,669  | 4,662,498  | 531,171  | 11.4%
12  |  North Carolina | 5,082,059  | 4,556,155  | 525,904  | 11.5%
13  |  Missouri | 4,676,501  | 4,319,813  | 356,688  | 8.3%
14  |  Virginia | 4,648,494  | 3,966,949  | 681,545  | 17.2%
15  |  Georgia | 4,589,575  | 3,943,116  | 646,459  | 16.4%
16  |  Wisconsin | 4,417,731  | 3,951,777  | 465,954  | 11.8%
17  |  Tennessee | 3,923,687  | 3,567,089  | 356,598  | 10.0%
18  |  Maryland | 3,922,399  | 3,100,689  | 821,710  | 26.5%
19  |  Minnesota | 3,804,971  | 3,413,864  | 391,107  | 11.5%
20  |  Louisiana | 3,641,306  | 3,257,022  | 384,284  | 11.8%
21  |  Alabama | 3,444,165  | 3,266,740  | 177,425  | 5.4%
22  |  Washington | 3,409,169  | 2,853,214  | 555,955  | 19.5%
23  |  Kentucky | 3,218,706  | 3,038,156  | 180,550  | 5.9%
24  |  Connecticut | 3,031,709  | 2,535,234  | 496,475  | 19.6%
25  |  Iowa | 2,824,376  | 2,757,537  | 66,839  | 2.4%
26  |  South Carolina | 2,590,516  | 2,382,594  | 207,922  | 8.7%
27  |  Oklahoma | 2,559,229  | 2,328,284  | 230,945  | 9.9%
28  |  Kansas | 2,246,578  | 2,178,611  | 67,967  | 3.1%
29  |  Mississippi | 2,216,912  | 2,178,141  | 38,771  | 1.8%
30  |  Colorado | 2,207,259  | 1,753,947  | 453,312  | 25.8%
31  |  Oregon | 2,091,533  | 1,768,687  | 322,846  | 18.3%
32  |  Arkansas | 1,923,295  | 1,786,272  | 137,023  | 7.7%
33  |  Arizona | 1,745,944  | 1,302,161  | 443,783  | 34.1%
34  |  West Virginia | 1,744,237  | 1,860,421  | -116,184  | -6.2%
35  |  Nebraska | 1,483,493  | 1,411,330  | 72,163  | 5.1%
36  |  Utah | 1,059,273  | 890,627  | 168,646  | 18.9%
37  |  New Mexico | 1,017,055  | 951,023  | 66,032  | 6.9%
38  |  Maine | 992,048  | 969,265  | 22,783  | 2.4%
39  |  Rhode Island | 946,725  | 859,488  | 87,237  | 10.1%
40  |  Hawaii | 769,913  | 632,772  | 137,141  | 21.7%
–  |  District of Columbia | 756,510  | 763,956  | -7,446  | -1.0%
41  |  New Hampshire | 737,681  | 606,921  | 130,760  | 21.5%
42  |  Idaho | 712,567  | 667,191  | 45,376  | 6.8%
43  |  Montana | 694,409  | 674,767  | 19,642  | 2.9%
44  |  South Dakota | 665,507  | 680,514  | -15,007  | -2.2%
45  |  North Dakota | 617,761  | 632,446  | -14,685  | -2.3%
46  |  Delaware | 548,104  | 446,292  | 101,812  | 22.8%
47  |  Nevada | 488,738  | 285,278  | 203,460  | 71.3%
48  |  Vermont | 444,330  | 389,881  | 54,449  | 14.0%
49  |  Wyoming | 332,416  | 330,066  | 2,350  | 0.7%
50  |  Alaska | 300,382  | 226,167  | 74,215  | 32.8%

## City rankings

[edit]

Rank | City | State | Population[4] | Region (2014)[5]

|
|
|
|

01 | New York | New York | 7,894,862 | Northeast
02 | Chicago | Illinois | 3,366,957 | Midwest
03 | Los Angeles | California | 2,816,061 | West
04 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,948,609 | Northeast
05 | Detroit | Michigan | 1,511,482 | Midwest
06 | Houston | Texas | 1,232,802 | South
07 | Baltimore | Maryland | 905,759 | South
08 | Dallas | Texas | 844,401 | South
09 | Washington | District of Columbia | 756,510 | South
10 | Cleveland | Ohio | 750,903 | Midwest
11 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 744,624 | Midwest
12 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 717,099 | Midwest
13 | San Francisco | California | 715,674 | West
14 | San Diego | California | 696,769 | West
15 | San Antonio | Texas | 654,153 | South
16 | Boston | Massachusetts | 641,071 | Northeast
17 | Memphis | Tennessee | 623,530 | South
18 | St. Louis | Missouri | 622,236 | Midwest
19 | New Orleans | Louisiana | 593,471 | South
20 | Phoenix | Arizona | 581,562 | West
21 | Columbus | Ohio | 539,677 | Midwest
22 | Seattle | Washington | 530,831 | West
23 | Jacksonville | Florida | 528,865 | South
24 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 520,117 | Northeast
25 | Denver | Colorado | 514,678 | West
26 | Kansas City | Missouri | 507,087 | Midwest
27 | Atlanta | Georgia | 496,973 | South
28 | Buffalo | New York | 462,768 | Northeast
29 | Cincinnati | Ohio | 452,524 | Midwest
30 | Nashville-Davidson | Tennessee | 448,003 | South
31 | San Jose | California | 445,779 | West
32 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 434,400 | Midwest
33 | Fort Worth | Texas | 393,476 | South
34 | Toledo | Ohio | 383,818 | Midwest
35 | Portland | Oregon | 382,619 | West
36 | Newark | New Jersey | 382,417 | Northeast
37 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 366,481 | South
38 | Oakland | California | 361,561 | West
39 | Louisville | Kentucky | 361,472 | South
40 | Long Beach | California | 358,633 | West
41 | Omaha | Nebraska | 347,328 | Midwest
42 | Miami | Florida | 334,859 | South
43 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 331,638 | South
44 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 324,871 | West
45 | El Paso | Texas | 322,261 | South
46 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 309,980 | Midwest
47 | Norfolk | Virginia | 307,951 | South
48 | Birmingham | Alabama | 300,910 | South
49 | Rochester | New York | 296,233 | Northeast
50 | Tampa | Florida | 277,767 | South
51 | Wichita | Kansas | 276,554 | Midwest
52 | Akron | Ohio | 275,425 | Midwest
53 | Tucson | Arizona | 262,933 | West
54 | Jersey City | New Jersey | 260,545 | Northeast
55 | Sacramento | California | 254,413 | West
56 | Austin | Texas | 251,808 | South
57 | Richmond | Virginia | 249,621 | South
58 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 243,751 | West
59 | Dayton | Ohio | 243,601 | Midwest
60 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 241,178 | South
61 | St. Petersburg | Florida | 216,232 | South
62 | Corpus Christi | Texas | 204,525 | South
63 | Yonkers | New York | 204,297 | Northeast
64 | Des Moines | Iowa | 200,587 | Midwest
65 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 197,649 | Midwest
66 | Syracuse | New York | 197,208 | Northeast
67 | Flint | Michigan | 193,317 | Midwest
68 | Mobile | Alabama | 190,026 | South
69 | Shreveport | Louisiana | 182,064 | South
70 | Warren | Michigan | 179,260 | Midwest
71 | Providence | Rhode Island | 179,213 | Northeast
72 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | 177,671 | Midwest
73 | Worcester | Massachusetts | 176,572 | Northeast
74 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 175,885 | West
75 | Gary | Indiana | 175,415 | Midwest
76 | Knoxville | Tennessee | 174,587 | South
77 | Arlington | Virginia | 174,284 | South
78 | Madison | Wisconsin | 173,258 | Midwest
79 | Virginia Beach | Virginia | 172,106 | South
80 | Spokane | Washington | 170,516 | West
81 | Kansas City | Kansas | 168,213 | Midwest
82 | Anaheim | California | 166,701 | West
83 | Fresno | California | 165,972 | West
84 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 165,963 | South
85 | Springfield | Massachusetts | 163,905 | Northeast
86 | Hartford | Connecticut | 158,017 | Northeast
87 | Santa Ana | California | 156,601 | West
88 | Bridgeport | Connecticut | 156,542 | Northeast
89 | Tacoma | Washington | 154,581 | West
90 | Columbus | Georgia | 154,168 | South
91 | Jackson | Mississippi | 153,968 | South
92 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 149,518 | Midwest
93 | Lubbock | Texas | 149,101 | South
94 | Rockford | Illinois | 147,370 | Midwest
95 | Paterson | New Jersey | 144,824 | Northeast
96 | Greensboro | North Carolina | 144,076 | South
97 | Riverside | California | 140,089 | West
98 | Youngstown | Ohio | 139,788 | Midwest
99 | Fort Lauderdale | Florida | 139,590 | South
100 | Evansville | Indiana | 138,764 | Midwest

## Locations of 50 most populous cities

[edit]

New York

Chicago

Los Angeles

Philadelphia

Detroit

Houston

Baltimore

Dallas

Washington

Cleveland

Indianapolis

Milwaukee

San Francisco

San Diego

San Antonio

Boston

Memphis

St. Louis

New Orleans

Phoenix

Columbus

Seattle

Jacksonville

Pittsburgh

Denver

Kansas City

Atlanta

San Juan

Buffalo

Cincinnati

Nashville

San Jose

Minneapolis

Fort Worth

Toledo

Portland

Newark

Oklahoma City

Oakland

Louisville

Long Beach

Omaha

Miami

Tulsa

Honolulu

El Paso

Saint Paul

Norfolk

Birmingham

Rochester

class=notpageimage|

Location of 50 largest cities by population in the United States in 1970

## Conclusions

[edit]

California took over as the most populous state; New York had previously been ranked number one. While the entire country increased to more than 204 million persons, four states lost population, with West Virginia leading the list, down roughly 7 percent from 1960.[6]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Hephzibah V. Strmic-Paul, Brandon A. Jackson, and Steve Garner, “Race Counts: Racial and Ethnic Data on the U.S. Census and the Implications for Tracking Inequality,” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 4, no. 1 (2018): 1–13.
2. ^ Goldfield, Edwin D. (1969). "Relevant Data for Political Science in the 1970 Census". PS: Political Science & Politics. 2 (3): 308–314\. doi:10.2307/418367. ISSN 0030-8269. JSTOR 418367.
3. ^ "The "72-Year Rule" – History". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
4. ^ Gibson, Campbell (June 1998), Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, archived from the original on September 2, 2017
5. ^ "Regions and Divisions". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
6. ^ http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1970/Apollo-13/12303235577467-2/#title "1970 Year in Review, UPI.com". Accessed April 8, 2009. Archived May 4, 2009.

## External links

[edit]

* Historic US Census data
* 1971 U.S Census Report, with estimated 1970 Census results
* 1970 Census of Population

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