2010 Census - A Preliminary View

If, like me, you are a little bit of a data geek or "data enthusiast", then you have been pretty dang excited over the past year. The reason, of course, is the United States Census.

Far more than a simple head count, the census affects every one of us through Congressional reapportionments and funding for thousands of government services. For us enthusiasts however, it also offers a rare "accurate" snapshot of everyone in the country. We still have to wait a while for the deepest parts of the data, but the Census has released a preliminary snapshot that we have visualized here. Take a look and make sure to try switching measures on the right hand side.

The last ten years have seen the most mild population growth (% change) since 1910. However, this does not mean that population changes in the US have been mild. People continue to pour out of the mid-east states that were once the industrial center of America (take a look around the Great Lakes in 1910). California, Florida, Texas, Arizona and Nevada have largely been the recipients of those migrations, as well as the Atlantic Southeast. There's much more to tell but not enough space here- take a look for yourself!