1990 United States census

21st United States national census

Twenty-first census of the United States

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| <- 1980 | April 1, 1990 | 2000 ->

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U.S. Census Bureau seal

General information
Country| United States
Results
Total population| 248,709,873 ( 9.8%)
Most populous state| California
29,760,021
Least populous state| Wyoming
453,588

The 1990 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 248,709,873, an increase of 9.8 percent over the 226,545,805 persons enumerated during the 1980 census.[1]

Approximately 16 percent of households received a "long form" of the 1990 census, which contained more than 100 questions. Full documentation on the 1990 census, including census forms and a procedural history, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

It was the first census to designate "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" as a racial group separate from Asians. The census was also the first census to be directed by a woman, Barbara Everitt Bryant.

To increase black participation in the 1990 United States census, the bureau recruited Bill Cosby, Magic Johnson, Alfre Woodard, and Miss America Debbye Turner as spokespeople.[2] 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. Personally identifiable information will be available in 2062.[3]

This was the first census since 1880 in which Chicago was not the second-largest city, having been overtaken by Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, Los Angeles has remained the nation's second-largest city.

## State rankings

[edit]

A map showing the population change of each US State by percentage. Population and population change in the United States by state  Rank  | State  | Population as of
1990 census  | Population as of
1980 census  | Change  | Percent
change

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1  |  California | 29,760,021  | 23,667,902  |  6,092,119  |  25.7%
2  |  New York | 17,990,455  | 17,558,072  |  432,383  |  2.5%
3  |  Texas | 16,986,510  | 14,229,191  |  2,757,319  |  19.4%
4  |  Florida | 12,937,926  | 9,746,324  |  3,191,602  |  32.7%
5  |  Pennsylvania | 11,881,643  | 11,863,895  |  17,748  |  0.2%
6  |  Illinois | 11,430,602  | 11,426,518  |  4,084  |  0.0%
7  |  Ohio | 10,847,115  | 10,797,630  |  49,485  |  0.4%
8  |  Michigan | 9,295,297  | 9,262,078  |  33,219  |  0.4%
9  |  New Jersey | 7,730,188  | 7,364,823  |  365,365  |  5.0%
10  |  North Carolina | 6,628,637  | 5,881,766  |  746,871  |  12.7%
11  |  Georgia | 6,478,216  | 5,463,105  |  1,015,111  |  18.6%
12  |  Virginia | 6,187,358  | 5,346,818  |  840,540  |  15.7%
13  |  Massachusetts | 6,016,425  | 5,737,037  |  279,388  |  4.9%
14  |  Indiana | 5,544,159  | 5,490,224  |  53,935  |  1.0%
15  |  Missouri | 5,117,073  | 4,916,686  |  200,387  |  4.1%
16  |  Wisconsin | 4,891,769  | 4,705,767  |  186,002  |  3.9%
17  |  Tennessee | 4,877,185  | 4,591,120  |  286,065  |  6.2%
18  |  Washington | 4,866,692  | 4,132,156  |  734,536  |  17.8%
19  |  Maryland | 4,781,468  | 4,216,975  |  564,493  |  13.4%
20  |  Minnesota | 4,375,099  | 4,075,970  |  299,129  |  7.3%
21  |  Louisiana | 4,219,973  | 4,205,900  |  14,073  |  0.3%
22  |  Alabama | 4,040,587  | 3,893,888  |  146,699  |  3.8%
23  |  Kentucky | 3,685,296  | 3,660,777  |  24,519  |  0.7%
24  |  Arizona | 3,665,228  | 2,718,215  |  947,013  |  34.8%
25  |  South Carolina | 3,486,703  | 3,121,820  |  364,883  |  11.7%
26  |  Colorado | 3,294,394  | 2,889,964  |  404,430  |  14.0%
27  |  Connecticut | 3,287,116  | 3,107,576  |  179,540  |  5.8%
28  |  Oklahoma | 3,145,585  | 3,025,290  |  120,295  |  4.0%
29  |  Oregon | 2,842,321  | 2,633,105  |  209,216  |  7.9%
30  |  Iowa | 2,776,755  | 2,913,808  |  –137,053  |  –4.7%
31  |  Mississippi | 2,573,216  | 2,520,638  |  52,578  |  2.1%
32  |  Kansas | 2,477,574  | 2,363,679  |  113,895  |  4.8%
33  |  Arkansas | 2,350,725  | 2,286,435  |  64,290  |  2.8%
34  |  West Virginia | 1,793,477  | 1,949,644  |  –156,167  |  –8.0%
35  |  Utah | 1,722,850  | 1,461,037  |  261,813  |  17.9%
36  |  Nebraska | 1,578,385  | 1,569,825  |  8,560  |  0.5%
37  |  New Mexico | 1,515,069  | 1,302,894  |  212,175  |  16.3%
38  |  Maine | 1,227,928  | 1,124,660  |  103,268  |  9.2%
39  |  Nevada | 1,201,833  | 800,493  |  401,340  |  50.1%
40  |  New Hampshire | 1,109,252  | 920,610  |  188,642  |  20.5%
41  |  Hawaii | 1,108,229  | 964,691  |  143,538  |  14.8%
42  |  Idaho | 1,006,749  | 943,935  |  62,814  |  6.7%
43  |  Rhode Island | 1,003,464  | 947,154  |  56,310  |  5.9%
44  |  Montana | 799,065  | 786,690  |  12,375  |  1.6%
45  |  South Dakota | 696,004  | 690,768  |  5,236  |  0.8%
46  |  Delaware | 666,168  | 594,338  |  71,830  |  12.1%
47  |  North Dakota | 638,800  | 652,717  |  –13,917  |  –2.1%
—  |  District of Columbia | 606,900  | 638,333  |  –31,433  |  –4.9%
48  |  Vermont | 562,758  | 511,456  |  51,302  |  10.0%
49  |  Alaska | 550,043  | 401,851  |  148,192  |  36.8%
50  |  Wyoming | 453,588  | 469,557  |  –15,969  |  –3.4%
|  United States | 248,709,873 | 226,545,805 | 22,164,068 | 9.8%

## Reapportionment

[edit]

The results of the 1990 census determined the number of seats that each state receives in the United States House of Representatives starting with the 1992 elections. Consequently, this affected the number of votes each state has in the Electoral College for the 1992 presidential election.

Because of population changes, twenty-one states had changes in their number of seats. Eight states gained at least one seat, and thirteen states lost at least one seat. The final result involved 19 seats being switched.[4]

Gained seven seats | Gained four seats | Gained three seats | Gained one seat | Lost one seat | Lost two seats | Lost three seats

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California | Florida | Texas | Arizona
Georgia
North Carolina
Virginia
Washington | Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Montana
New Jersey
West Virginia | Illinois
Michigan
Ohio
Pennsylvania | New York

## City rankings

[edit]

Rank | City | State | Population[5] | Region (2016)[6]

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01 | New York | New York | 7,322,564 | Northeast
02 | Los Angeles | California | 3,485,398 | West
03 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,783,726 | Midwest
04 | Houston | Texas | 1,630,553 | South
05 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,585,577 | Northeast
06 | San Diego | California | 1,110,549 | West
07 | Detroit | Michigan | 1,027,974 | Midwest
08 | Dallas | Texas | 1,006,877 | South
09 | Phoenix | Arizona | 983,403 | West
10 | San Antonio | Texas | 935,933 | South
11 | San Jose | California | 782,248 | West
12 | Baltimore | Maryland | 736,014 | South
13 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 731,327 | Midwest
14 | San Francisco | California | 723,959 | West
15 | Jacksonville | Florida | 635,230 | South
16 | Columbus | Ohio | 632,910 | Midwest
17 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 628,088 | Midwest
18 | Memphis | Tennessee | 610,337 | South
19 | Washington | District of Columbia | 606,900 | South
20 | Boston | Massachusetts | 574,283 | Northeast
21 | Seattle | Washington | 516,259 | West
22 | El Paso | Texas | 515,342 | South
23 | Cleveland | Ohio | 505,616 | Midwest
24 | New Orleans | Louisiana | 496,938 | South
25 | Nashville-Davidson | Tennessee | 488,374 | South
26 | Denver | Colorado | 467,610 | West
27 | Austin | Texas | 465,622 | South
28 | Fort Worth | Texas | 447,619 | South
29 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 444,719 | South
30 | Portland | Oregon | 437,319 | West
31 | Kansas City | Missouri | 435,146 | Midwest
32 | Long Beach | California | 429,433 | West
33 | Tucson | Arizona | 405,390 | West
34 | St. Louis | Missouri | 396,685 | Midwest
35 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 395,934 | South
36 | Atlanta | Georgia | 394,017 | South
37 | Virginia Beach | Virginia | 393,069 | South
38 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 384,736 | West
39 | Oakland | California | 372,242 | West
40 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 369,879 | Northeast
41 | Sacramento | California | 369,365 | West
42 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 368,383 | Midwest
43 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 367,302 | South
44 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 365,272 | West
45 | Cincinnati | Ohio | 364,040 | Midwest
46 | Miami | Florida | 358,548 | South
47 | Fresno | California | 354,202 | West
48 | Omaha | Nebraska | 335,795 | Midwest
49 | Toledo | Ohio | 332,943 | Midwest
50 | Buffalo | New York | 328,123 | Northeast
51 | Wichita | Kansas | 304,011 | Midwest
52 | Santa Ana | California | 293,742 | West
53 | Mesa | Arizona | 288,091 | West
54 | Colorado Springs | Colorado | 281,140 | West
55 | Tampa | Florida | 280,015 | South
56 | Newark | New Jersey | 275,221 | Northeast
57 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 272,235 | Midwest
58 | Louisville | Kentucky | 269,063 | South
59 | Anaheim | California | 266,406 | West
60 | Birmingham | Alabama | 265,968 | South
61 | Arlington | Texas | 261,721 | South
62 | Norfolk | Virginia | 261,229 | South
63 | Las Vegas | Nevada | 258,295 | West
64 | Corpus Christi | Texas | 257,453 | South
65 | St. Petersburg | Florida | 238,629 | South
66 | Rochester | New York | 231,636 | Northeast
67 | Jersey City | New Jersey | 228,537 | Northeast
68 | Riverside | California | 226,505 | West
69 | Anchorage | Alaska | 226,338 | West
70 | Lexington-Fayette | Kentucky | 225,366 | South
71 | Akron | Ohio | 223,019 | Midwest
72 | Aurora | Colorado | 222,103 | West
73 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 219,531 | South
74 | Stockton | California | 210,943 | West
75 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 207,951 | South
76 | Richmond | Virginia | 203,056 | South
77 | Shreveport | Louisiana | 198,525 | South
78 | Jackson | Mississippi | 196,637 | South
79 | Mobile | Alabama | 196,278 | South
80 | Des Moines | Iowa | 193,187 | Midwest
81 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 191,972 | Midwest
82 | Madison | Wisconsin | 191,262 | Midwest
83 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 189,126 | Midwest
84 | Yonkers | New York | 188,082 | Northeast
85 | Hialeah | Florida | 188,004 | South
86 | Montgomery | Alabama | 187,106 | South
87 | Lubbock | Texas | 186,206 | South
88 | Greensboro | North Carolina | 183,521 | South
89 | Dayton | Ohio | 182,044 | Midwest
90 | Huntington Beach | California | 181,519 | West
91 | Garland | Texas | 180,650 | South
92 | Glendale | California | 180,038 | West
93 | Columbus | Georgia | 178,681 | South
94 | Spokane | Washington | 177,196 | West
95 | Tacoma | Washington | 176,664 | West
96 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 175,795 | South
97 | Bakersfield | California | 174,820 | West
98 | Fremont | California | 173,339 | West
99 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | 173,072 | Midwest
100 | Arlington | Virginia | 170,936 | South

## Locations of 50 most populous cities

[edit]

New York

Los Angeles

Chicago

Houston

Philadelphia

San Diego

Detroit

Dallas

Phoenix

San Antonio

San Jose

Baltimore

Indianapolis

San Francisco

Jacksonville

Columbus

Milwaukee

Memphis

Washington

Boston

Seattle

El Paso

Cleveland

New Orleans

Nashville

Denver

Austin

Fort Worth

Oklahoma City

San Juan

Portland

Kansas City

Long Beach

Tucson

St. Louis

Charlotte

Atlanta

Virginia Beach

Albuquerque

Oakland

Pittsburgh

Sacramento

Minneapolis

Tulsa

Honolulu

Cincinnati

Miami

Fresno

Omaha

Toledo

class=notpageimage|

Location of 50 largest cities by population in the United States in 1990

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Population and Area (Historical Censuses)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
2. ^ Brown, Frank Dexter (February 1990). "The 1990 Census: Will Blacks Be Counted Out?". Black Enterprise. 20 (7). Earl G. Graves, Ltd: 195. ISSN 0006-4165. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
3. ^ "The "72-Year Rule" – History". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
4. ^ "1990 Apportionment Results". US Census Bureau. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
5. ^ Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
6. ^ "Regions and Divisions". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1990 United States Census.

* U.S. Census Bureau 1990 Census page
* Historic US Census data
* Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1990 Contains 1990 census results
* Booknotes interview with Sam Roberts on Who We Are: A Portrait of America, June 19, 1994.
* 1991 U.S Census Report (contains 1990 census results)

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