1990 United States Census

Twenty-first Census of the United States
U.S. Census Bureau Seal
General Information
Date Taken	April 1, 1990
Total U.S. Population	248,709,873
Percent Change	9.8%
Most Populous State	California 29,760,021
Least Populous State	Wyoming 453,588
Logo

The Twenty-first 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 over 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.

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]

Data availability [edit]

Microdata from the 1990 census is 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.

State rankings [edit]

Rank	State	Population as of 1980 Census	Population as of 1990 Census	Change	Percent change
1	California	23,667,764	29,760,021	6,092,257	25.7%
2	New York	17,557,000	17,990,455	433,455	2.5%
3	Texas	14,228,000	16,986,510	2,758,510	19.4%
4	Florida	9,739,000	12,937,926	3,198,926	32.8%
5	Pennsylvania	11,867,000	11,881,643	14,643	0.12%
6	Illinois	11,419,000	11,430,602	11,602	0.1%
7	Ohio	10,797,000	10,847,115	50,115	0.4%
8	Michigan	9,259,000	9,295,297	36,297	0.39%
9	New Jersey	7,364,000	7,730,188	366,188	4.97%
10	North Carolina	5,874,000	6,628,637	754,637	12.8%
11	Georgia	5,464,000	6,478,216	1,014,216	18.5%
12	Virginia	5,346,000	6,187,358	841,358	15.7%
13	Massachusetts	5,737,000	6,016,425	279,425	4.87%
14	Indiana	5,491,000	5,544,159	53,159	0.96%
15	Missouri	4,917,000	5,117,073	200,073	4.0%
16	Wisconsin	4,706,000	4,891,769	185,769	3.9%
17	Tennessee	4,591,000	4,877,185	286,185	6.2%
18	Washington	4,130,000	4,866,692	736,692	17.8%
19	Maryland	4,216,000	4,781,468	565,468	13.4%
20	Minnesota	4,077,000	4,375,099	298,099	7.3%
21	Louisiana	4,203,000	4,219,973	16,973	0.4%
22	Alabama	3,891,000	4,040,587	149,587	3.8%
23	Kentucky	3,661,000	3,685,296	24,296	0.66%
24	Arizona	2,718,000	3,665,228	947,228	34.8%
25	South Carolina	3,119,000	3,486,703	367,703	11.7%
26	Colorado	2,890,000	3,294,394	404,394	14.0%
27	Connecticut	3,107,000	3,287,116	180,116	5.8%
28	Oklahoma	3,026,000	3,145,585	119,585	3.9%
29	Oregon	2,632,000	2,842,321	210,321	8.0%
30	Iowa	2,914,000	2,776,755	-137,245	-4.7%
31	Mississippi	2,520,000	2,573,216	53,216	2.1%
32	Kansas	2,363,000	2,477,574	114,574	4.8%
33	Arkansas	2,285,000	2,350,725	65,725	2.9%
34	West Virginia	1,950,000	1,793,477	-156,523	-8.0%
35	Utah	1,461,000	1,722,850	261,850	17.9%
36	Nebraska	1,570,000	1,578,385	8,385	0.53%
37	New Mexico	1,299,000	1,515,069	216,069	16.6%
38	Maine	1,125,000	1,227,928	102,928	9.1%
39	Nevada	799,000	1,201,833	402,833	50.4%
40	New Hampshire	921,000	1,109,252	88,252	20.4%
41	Hawaii	985,000	1,108,229	123,229	12.5%
42	Idaho	945,000	1,006,749	61,749	6.5%
43	Rhode Island	948,000	1,003,464	55,464	5.85%
44	Montana	787,000	799,065	12,065	1.5%
45	South Dakota	690,000	696,004	6,004	0.87%
46	Delaware	596,000	666,168	70,168	11.7%
47	North Dakota	654,000	638,800	-15,200	-2.3%
—	District of Columbia	638,000	606,900	-31,100	-4.9%
48	Vermont	512,000	562,758	50,758	9.9%
49	Alaska	400,000	550,043	150,043	37.5%
50	Wyoming	471,000	453,588	-17,412	-3.7%
	United States	226,545,805	248,709,873	22,164,068	9.8%

City Rankings [edit]

Rank	City	Population as of 1980 Census	Population as of 1990 Census	Change	Percent change
1	New York, NY	7,071,639	7,322,564	250,925	3.5%
2	Los Angeles, CA	2,966,850	3,485,398	518,548	17.5%
3	Chicago, IL	3,005,072	2,783,726	-221,346	-7.4%
4	Houston, TX	1,595,138	1,630,553	35,415	2.2%
5	Philadelphia, PA	1,688,210	1,585,577	-102,633	-6.1%

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 1990 United States Census

• U.S. Census Bureau 1990 Census page
• Historic US Census data
• 1991 U.S Census Report Contains 1990 Census results
• Booknotes interview with Sam Roberts on Who We Are: A Portrait of America, June 19, 1994.

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