Since the first census in 1790, censuses and surveys have chronicled America’s population growth and demographic changes, becoming inseparable from the broader story of American history. The nation's population more than doubled between 1790 and 1820 as it grew from 3.9 million to 9.6 million people. By the 1850 Census, it doubled again when it reached nearly 23.2 million. The population surpassed 106 million in 1920, grew to approximately 203.3 million in 1970, and exceeded 308.7 million in 2010. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that our nation's population will be about 343 million people.

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The U.S. population has witnessed profound transformation over the last 250 years. Waves of immigration, combined with natural increase and rising life expectancy, have transformed the demographic makeup of our nation. At the same time, the United States has become increasingly urban, as communities have grown from rural roots into bustling metropolises that serve as centers of industry, innovation, and culture. In addition, internal migration and westward expansion has redistributed Americans across the country, with rapid growth in the South and West.

These long-term changes are carefully documented through the U.S. Census Bureau’s censuses and surveys. The decennial census provides a complete count of the nation every 10 years, forming the foundation for representation, federal resource allocation, and an accurate portrait of the American people. The American Community Survey (ACS) complements this effort by providing estimates of social, economic, and housing characteristics, allowing for a more detailed understanding of how communities evolve between census years. In addition, each year the Census Bureau conducts more than 100 additional surveys collecting demographic and economic data. Together, these tools ensure that the story of the American people is recorded with accuracy, continuity, and transparency.

Taken together, these demographic trends underscore both the scale of America’s growth and the strength of its institutions in documenting and understanding change. Continued population growth, increasing diversity, an aging population, and shifting migration patterns will shape the nation’s future in complex and meaningful ways. Meeting these challenges will require timely and precise data to guide decision-making and support communities across the country. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the work of the Census Bureau remains central to explaining events in its past, understanding its present, and preparing for its future, by providing an enduring statistical record of the American people.

You can learn more about colonial America and 250 years of our nation's history using Census Bureau data and records. For example:

• Between 1630 and 1770, the estimated population of colonial America grew from 4,646 European settlers to 2,148,076. In 1770, Virginia was the most populous colony with 447,016 people, followed by Pennsylvania (240,057) and Massachusetts (235,308). In 1780—4 years after the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence—an estimated 2,780,369 people lived in the American colonies. 
• Disgruntled colonists protested the British Tea Act of 1773 by dumping hundreds of chests containing British tea into Boston Harbor on the night of December 16, 1773. The 1773 Boston Tea Party strengthened many colonists' resolve to seek independence from Great Britain and boycott British goods. The boycott had an immediate impact on trade. In 1773, the colonies imported 739,221 pounds of tea from England. One year later, imports fell to 73,274 pounds. In 1775, just 22,198 pounds of English tea arrived in Colonial America.  Following the American Revolution, American merchants bypassed British tea traders and bought directly from China. By 1825, tea imports grew to approximately 10 million pounds and reached 80 million pounds in 1850. Today, the United States is one of the world's largest tea importers, with approximately 250 to 285 million pounds of tea arriving annually from Japan, India, Argentina, China, Sri Lanka, etc.
• On June 17, 1775, British troops battled colonial militiamen to seize control of the high ground overlooking Boston Harbor. The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the first major battles of the American Revolution. The British won the battle, but at a terrible cost, proving that suppressing the colonial rebellion would be a much more difficult task than expected.
• Fifty-six people signed the Declaration of Independence. Signatories included John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas Jefferson, Edward Rutledge, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton. When Carroll died in 1832, he was the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence. Clymer and Sherman were two of the six people who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Sherman was the only person to sign the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution.
• The 1790 Census was the first to count the population of the United States. U.S. marshals conducted the census in the original 13 states, plus the districts of Kentucky, Maine, Vermont, and the Southwest Territory (Tennessee). That year, the nation's population was 3,929,214. Virginia was the most populous state with 747,610 people, followed by Pennsylvania (434,373), and North Carolina (393,751). The most populous cities were New York City, New York (33,131); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (28,522); and Boston, Massachusetts (18,320).
• Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago, millions of immigrants have sought new lives in the United States. The foreign-born population reached 14.8 percent of the total population (9.2 million people) in 1890. It then declined from 14.7 percent (13.5 million people) in 1910 to a low of 4.7 percent in 1970 (9.6 million). A combination of factors, including the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and increased demand for labor, contributed to a second wave of immigration. Since then, the foreign-born population has risen from 6.2 percent of the total population in 1980 (14.1 million people) to an estimated 14.8 percent in 2024. Of the 50.2 million foreign-born residents in 2024, nearly 25.8 million are from Latin America and 15.5 million are from Asia. Approximately 51.4 percent are naturalized citizens, 55.6 percent own their homes, and 88.2 percent own one or more vehicles. Among those aged 16 and older, 64.5 percent are employed, and 36.1 percent earn more than $75,000 annually.
• A number of American cities and towns have patriotic names. Just a few of these include: Independence, Missouri; Liberty, Texas; Union City, Tennessee; Yankee Springs, Michigan; Flagstaff, Arizona; Freedom, Wisconsin; Justice, Illinois; American Fork, Utah; and Columbia, South Carolina.
• In addition to being our nation's birthday, many famous Americans were also born in July.  Included are the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, author Nathaniel Hawthorne, playwright Neil Simon, cartoonist Rube Goldberg, composer Stephen Foster, singer and songwriter Bill Withers, and advice columnist Ann Landers. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of their signing the Declaration of Independence. Five years later, the fifth President of the United States, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831.
• The patriotic song "My Country' Tis of Thee"—also known as "America"—was written by Samuel Francis Smith and first performed at an Independence Day celebration in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1831. The song served as one of the United States' de facto national anthems until the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution adopting "The Star Spangled Banner" as the official national anthem of the United States in 1931. "My Country 'Tis of Thee" saw a resurgence in popularity after several notable performances on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. African American singer Marian Anderson performed the song on April 9, 1939, at the request of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt after being barred from the segregated DAR Constitution Hall. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. recited the first verse as part of his I Have a Dream speech given at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
• Territorial expansion and immigration from Latin America has led to rapid growth of the Hispanic population in the United States. The 1930 Census counted 1.4 million people who identified as "Mexican." Nearly 9.1 million people identified as being of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or an "Other Spanish" ancestry in 1970. During the 2020 Census, more than 59.3 million Americans identified as being of Hispanic or Latino origin. Four years later, 2024 American Community Survey estimates found the Hispanic or Latino population grew to more than 68 million.
• The population of the United States has grown as life expectancy has increased. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy for all races and origins and both sexes was 47.3 years in 1900. It rose to 59.7 years in 1930, 69.7 in 1960, 75.4 in 1990, and 78.7 in 2018. Data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimate that more than 23.5 million people were age 75 years and older in 2024.
• Learn more about the growth, expansion, and diversification of the United States since 1790 from our  Census History and Timeline and monthly History and the Census articles. A sample of articles features the 1836 Battle of the Alamo (April 2026); Presidents Day (February 2026); the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (March 2025); the Panama Canal and the Island Areas (August 2024); 1889 Oklahoma Land Rush (April 2024); Alaska and Its People (January 2024); the 1848 Women's Rights Convention (July 2023); the Transcontinental Railroad (May 2023); the 1803 Louisiana Purchase (April 2023); American Indians and Alaska Natives (November 2021); and National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 2020).

The official, signed copy of the Declaration of Independence was engrossed—handwritten in formal script—on vellum. Vellum is a high-quality, durable, and smooth surface made from animal skin. It is still manufactured and used to produce important, long-lasting documents. The Census Bureau collects data about vellum manufacturers categorized in the Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing (NAICS 316110) sector. In 2023, the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (CBP) series counted 152 establishments in the sector. They employed 2,884 people during the pay period that included March 12, 2023. 

Engrossing the Declaration of Independence by hand on vellum was a meticulous and time-consuming process, and the Continental Congress wanted to distribute copies of the document to the colonies as quickly as possible. They hired commercial printer John Dunlap to print the first paper copies of the Declaration of Independence—known as Dunlap Broadsides—on the evening of July 4, 1776. Dunlap later worked with other Philadelphia printers to print other government documents, including the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Dunlap printed an estimated 200 paper copies of the Declaration of Independence. Just 26 are known to survive today, including those at the National Archives and Library of Congress in Washington, DC; the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire; the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia; the Dallas Public Library in Dallas, Texas; and the Chicago History Museum in Chicago, Illinois. 

If Dunlap was still printing official documents today, his business data would be collected as part of the Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) sector (NAICS 323111). In 2023, the CBP series reported there were 15,140 of these establishments in the United States. During the pay period that included March 12, 2023, they employed 280,276 people.

Millions of Americans will celebrate the nation's 250th birthday with fireworks, barbecues, and outdoor grilling. 

Fireworks are part of the All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing (NAICS 325998) sector. The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns series counted 1,319 establishments in the sector. During the pay period that included March 12, 2023, these establishments employed 42,583 people and had an annual payroll exceeding $3.5 billion.

Barbecues and outdoor grilling need grills and the fuel to heat them. In 2023, there were 68 establishments in the Cyclic Crude, Intermediate, and Gum and Wood Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325194) sector—which included establishments making charcoal briquettes—that employed 5,542 people during the pay period that included March 12, 2023. 

Gas and charcoal grills are manufactured by some of the nation's 180 Major Household Appliance Manufacturing establishments. These establishments employed 47,877 people during the same time period.

The Fuel Dealer sector includes employer firms selling propane for gas grilling cylinders and cylinder exchange kiosks. In 2022, there were 3,935 employer firms in the United States employing 71,761 people.