ALABAMA – Alabama’s population grew 5.1% to 5.03 million in 2020 compared to 4.8 million in 2010, ensuring it retains its seven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives for another decade.
The census population results were part of a congressional reapportionment report the U.S. Census Bureau released Monday, the first release of data from the 2020 Census.
“This data reveals what we’ve known all along – Alabama is a great state to call home, and many are choosing to do so,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said. “I am extremely pleased that we will keep all seven of our current seats in the U.S. House to provide valued and needed voices to advocate for our state and our people for the next 10 years. Our success in the census was certainly a group effort across the entire state, and I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who played a part.”
Alabama officials had feared the state could lose one or two seats in the House if there wasn’t enough participation in the 2020 Census. That led to a concerted effort to have as close to full participation in the census as possible.
Ivey led efforts along with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and the Alabama Counts! 2020 Census Committee. ADECA’s efforts started in 2017 and continued with the Alabama Counts! Committee, a dedicated team effort of hundreds of individuals and groups working together since August 2018. The effort included a multifaceted campaign throughout 2020 that included grassroots outreach, public events and advertising. The effort was forced to adjust strategies and tactics several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This was by far the most time and resources that Alabama state government has ever given toward a census count, and I am happy that our efforts and hard work have paid off,” said Kenneth Boswell, chairman of the Alabama Counts! Committee and director of ADECA. “Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Ivey and the dedicated work of all our many partners at all levels, we have succeeded in achieving an accurate count and fair representation.”
The data released Monday is limited to statewide population totals only. The more detailed county, city and census tract level data needed for legislative redistricting will be released in August and September, according to the Census Bureau.
“This is great news for Huntsville and the state of Alabama,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. “I am exceptionally proud of how the Huntsville community turned out to be counted, and we look forward to seeing our local numbers later this year. With the dramatic growth in the Huntsville area, I believe we played a significant role in boosting the state’s numbers. Keeping all seven House seats is crucial to capturing our share of federal resources and representation.”
Here’s how the Census Bureau calculates the apportionment of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives:
The U.S. Constitution requires that each state has a minimum of one seat in the House, with the remaining 385 seats distributed among the 50 states based on the apportionment formula. That method has changed over time, although Congress adopted the current method in 1941 and it was first used after the 1940 Census and each one since then.
The Method of Equal Proportions, as it is known, is designed so that each congressional district for every state represents roughly the same number of people, to ensure equal representation for all.
The country’s first census came in 1790, and each congressional district represented about 34,000 people in a House that had 105 seats. Today, each of the 435 members of Congress represents more than 700,000 people. The Census Bureau notes that the census every 10 years “is more than just a population count. It’s an essential element of our nation’s democracy, with the power to shape our future for years.”
Alabama now ranks 24th among states, based on population. That’s a drop of one spot from its rank of 23rd in 2010.
The U.S. population was at 331,449,281 on April 1, 2020, an increase of 22,703,743 or 7.4% from 308,745,538 in 2010.
The most populous state was California (39,538,223); the least populous was Wyoming (576,851).
The state that gained the most numerically since the 2010 Census was Texas (up 3,999,944 to 29,145,505).
The fastest-growing state since the 2010 Census was Utah (up 18.4% to 3,271,616).
“The American public deserves a big thank you for its overwhelming response to the 2020 Census,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said. “Despite many challenges, our nation completed a census for the 24th time. This act is fundamental to our democracy and a declaration of our growth and resilience. I also want to thank the team at the U.S. Census Bureau, who overcame unprecedented challenges to collect and produce high-quality data that will inform decision-making for years to come.”
