The population of the United States has continued to increase since independence. A census has been conducted at the beginning of each decade since 1790. The numbers are acquired in a variety of ways including door-to-door polling, but the Census Bureau never has counted every individual. In addition to general population information, the Census Bureau also collects other data ranging from ethnicity to income to housing.
U.S. population growth is attributable to a positive difference between immigration and emigration (net international migration) and to the birth rate exceeding the death rate (natural increase). Over half of recent increases are due to natural increase.
The Census Bureau also provides projections for the future, but these are highly speculative. We have shown their 'middle estimates' extending to 2100.
| year | population | |
| 2100 | 570,954,000 |  |
| 2090 | 533,605,000 | |
| 2080 | 497,830,000 | |
| 2070 | 463,639,000 | |
| 2060 | 432,011,000 | |
| 2050 | 403,687,000 | |
| 2040 | 377,350,000 | |
| 2030 | 351,071,000 | |
| 2020 | 324,928,000 | |
| 2010 | 299,862,000 | |
| 2000 | 281,422,000 |  |
| 1990 | 248,710,000 | |
| 1980 | 226,542,000 | |
| 1970 | 203,302,000 | |
| 1960 | 179,323,000 | |
| 1950 | 151,325,000 | |
| 1940 | 132,164,000 | |
| 1930 | 123,203,000 | |
| 1920 | 106,022,000 | |
| 1910 | 92,228,000 | |
| 1900 | 76,212,000 | |
| 1890 | 62,980,000 | |
| 1880 | 50,189,000 | |
| 1870 | 38,558,000 | |
| 1860 | 31,443,000 | |
| 1850 | 23,192,000 | |
| 1840 | 17,069,000 | |
| 1830 | 12,866,000 | |
| 1820 | 9,638,000 | |
| 1810 | 7,240,000 | |
| 1800 | 5,308,000 | |
| 1790 | 3,929,000 | |