Census Reports Record-Low Population Growth, Changes to House Seats

The U.S. population grew at the second-lowest rate in American history over the last decade, the Census Bureau reported Monday. The lowest rate came in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Demographic shifts led California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York to each lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, while Oregon, Montana, Colorado, Florida, and North Carolina each gained a seat, with Texas gaining two seats. This would be the first time in U.S. history that California has lost a House seat. In total, the U.S. population was measured at 331,449,281 as of April 1, 2020. Low population growth is not unique to the U.S.; several countries also saw slow population growth over the last decade, including China, Brazil and more. Some countries, mostly in Europe, have seen shrinking populations. News outlets from across the spectrum covered the low growth rates and the reallocated House seats, usually in separate articles. Several local news outlets published coverage on how the census numbers would impact their individual states.