# 1990 United States census

The 1990 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 248,709,873, an increase of 9.8 percent over the 226,545,805 persons enumerated during the 1980 census.
Approximately 16 percent of households received a "long form" of the 1990 census, which contained more than 100 questions. Full documentation on the 1990 census, including census forms and a procedural history, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.
It was the first census to designate "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" as a racial group separate from Asians. The census was also the first census to be directed by a woman, Barbara Everitt Bryant.
To increase black participation in the 1990 United States census, the bureau recruited Bill Cosby, Magic Johnson, Alfre Woodard, and Miss America Debbye Turner as spokespeople. The Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System. Personally identifiable information will be available in 2062.
This was the first census since 1880 in which Chicago was not the second-largest city, having been overtaken by Los Angeles. As of the 2020 census, Los Angeles has remained the nation's second-largest city.

## State rankings

Population and population change in the United States by state :
| Rank | State | Population as of 1990 census | Population as of 1980 census | Change | Percent change |
| 1 | California | 29,760,021 | 23,667,902 | 6,092,119 | 25.7% |
| 2 | New York | 17,990,455 | 17,558,072 | 432,383 | 2.5% |
| 3 | Texas | 16,986,510 | 14,229,191 | 2,757,319 | 19.4% |
| 4 | Florida | 12,937,926 | 9,746,324 | 3,191,602 | 32.7% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 11,881,643 | 11,863,895 | 17,748 | 0.2% |
| 6 | Illinois | 11,430,602 | 11,426,518 | 4,084 | 0.0% |
| 7 | Ohio | 10,847,115 | 10,797,630 | 49,485 | 0.4% |
| 8 | Michigan | 9,295,297 | 9,262,078 | 33,219 | 0.4% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 7,730,188 | 7,364,823 | 365,365 | 5.0% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 6,628,637 | 5,881,766 | 746,871 | 12.7% |
| 11 | Georgia | 6,478,216 | 5,463,105 | 1,015,111 | 18.6% |
| 12 | Virginia | 6,187,358 | 5,346,818 | 840,540 | 15.7% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,016,425 | 5,737,037 | 279,388 | 4.9% |
| 14 | Indiana | 5,544,159 | 5,490,224 | 53,935 | 1.0% |
| 15 | Missouri | 5,117,073 | 4,916,686 | 200,387 | 4.1% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 4,891,769 | 4,705,767 | 186,002 | 3.9% |
| 17 | Tennessee | 4,877,185 | 4,591,120 | 286,065 | 6.2% |
| 18 | Washington | 4,866,692 | 4,132,156 | 734,536 | 17.8% |
| 19 | Maryland | 4,781,468 | 4,216,975 | 564,493 | 13.4% |
| 20 | Minnesota | 4,375,099 | 4,075,970 | 299,129 | 7.3% |
| 21 | Louisiana | 4,219,973 | 4,205,900 | 14,073 | 0.3% |
| 22 | Alabama | 4,040,587 | 3,893,888 | 146,699 | 3.8% |
| 23 | Kentucky | 3,685,296 | 3,660,777 | 24,519 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Arizona | 3,665,228 | 2,718,215 | 947,013 | 34.8% |
| 25 | South Carolina | 3,486,703 | 3,121,820 | 364,883 | 11.7% |
| 26 | Colorado | 3,294,394 | 2,889,964 | 404,430 | 14.0% |
| 27 | Connecticut | 3,287,116 | 3,107,576 | 179,540 | 5.8% |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 3,145,585 | 3,025,290 | 120,295 | 4.0% |
| 29 | Oregon | 2,842,321 | 2,633,105 | 209,216 | 7.9% |
| 30 | Iowa | 2,776,755 | 2,913,808 | –137,053 | –4.7% |
| 31 | Mississippi | 2,573,216 | 2,520,638 | 52,578 | 2.1% |
| 32 | Kansas | 2,477,574 | 2,363,679 | 113,895 | 4.8% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 2,350,725 | 2,286,435 | 64,290 | 2.8% |
| 34 | West Virginia | 1,793,477 | 1,949,644 | –156,167 | –8.0% |
| 35 | Utah | 1,722,850 | 1,461,037 | 261,813 | 17.9% |
| 36 | Nebraska | 1,578,385 | 1,569,825 | 8,560 | 0.5% |
| 37 | New Mexico | 1,515,069 | 1,302,894 | 212,175 | 16.3% |
| 38 | Maine | 1,227,928 | 1,124,660 | 103,268 | 9.2% |
| 39 | Nevada | 1,201,833 | 800,493 | 401,340 | 50.1% |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 1,109,252 | 920,610 | 188,642 | 20.5% |
| 41 | Hawaii | 1,108,229 | 964,691 | 143,538 | 14.8% |
| 42 | Idaho | 1,006,749 | 943,935 | 62,814 | 6.7% |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 1,003,464 | 947,154 | 56,310 | 5.9% |
| 44 | Montana | 799,065 | 786,690 | 12,375 | 1.6% |
| 45 | South Dakota | 696,004 | 690,768 | 5,236 | 0.8% |
| 46 | Delaware | 666,168 | 594,338 | 71,830 | 12.1% |
| 47 | North Dakota | 638,800 | 652,717 | –13,917 | –2.1% |
| — | District of Columbia | 606,900 | 638,333 | –31,433 | –4.9% |
| 48 | Vermont | 562,758 | 511,456 | 51,302 | 10.0% |
| 49 | Alaska | 550,043 | 401,851 | 148,192 | 36.8% |
| 50 | Wyoming | 453,588 | 469,557 | –15,969 | –3.4% |
| | United States | 248,709,873 | 226,545,805 | 22,164,068 | 9.8% |

## Reapportionment

The results of the 1990 census determined the number of seats that each state receives in the United States House of Representatives starting with the 1992 elections. Consequently, this affected the number of votes each state has in the Electoral College for the 1992 presidential election.
Because of population changes, twenty-one states had changes in their number of seats. Eight states gained at least one seat, and thirteen states lost at least one seat. The final result involved 19 seats being switched.
| Gained seven seats | Gained four seats | Gained three seats | Gained one seat | Lost one seat | Lost two seats | Lost three seats |
| California | Florida | Texas | Arizona Georgia North Carolina Virginia Washington | Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Montana New Jersey West Virginia | Illinois Michigan Ohio Pennsylvania | New York |

## City rankings

| Rank | City | State | Population | Region (2016) |
| 01 | New York | New York | 7,322,564 | Northeast |
| 02 | Los Angeles | California | 3,485,398 | West |
| 03 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,783,726 | Midwest |
| 04 | Houston | Texas | 1,630,553 | South |
| 05 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,585,577 | Northeast |
| 06 | San Diego | California | 1,110,549 | West |
| 07 | Detroit | Michigan | 1,027,974 | Midwest |
| 08 | Dallas | Texas | 1,006,877 | South |
| 09 | Phoenix | Arizona | 983,403 | West |
| 10 | San Antonio | Texas | 935,933 | South |
| 11 | San Jose | California | 782,248 | West |
| 12 | Baltimore | Maryland | 736,014 | South |
| 13 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 731,327 | Midwest |
| 14 | San Francisco | California | 723,959 | West |
| 15 | Jacksonville | Florida | 635,230 | South |
| 16 | Columbus | Ohio | 632,910 | Midwest |
| 17 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 628,088 | Midwest |
| 18 | Memphis | Tennessee | 610,337 | South |
| 19 | Washington | District of Columbia | 606,900 | South |
| 20 | Boston | Massachusetts | 574,283 | Northeast |
| 21 | Seattle | Washington | 516,259 | West |
| 22 | El Paso | Texas | 515,342 | South |
| 23 | Cleveland | Ohio | 505,616 | Midwest |
| 24 | New Orleans | Louisiana | 496,938 | South |
| 25 | Nashville-Davidson | Tennessee | 488,374 | South |
| 26 | Denver | Colorado | 467,610 | West |
| 27 | Austin | Texas | 465,622 | South |
| 28 | Fort Worth | Texas | 447,619 | South |
| 29 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 444,719 | South |
| 30 | Portland | Oregon | 437,319 | West |
| 31 | Kansas City | Missouri | 435,146 | Midwest |
| 32 | Long Beach | California | 429,433 | West |
| 33 | Tucson | Arizona | 405,390 | West |
| 34 | St. Louis | Missouri | 396,685 | Midwest |
| 35 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 395,934 | South |
| 36 | Atlanta | Georgia | 394,017 | South |
| 37 | Virginia Beach | Virginia | 393,069 | South |
| 38 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 384,736 | West |
| 39 | Oakland | California | 372,242 | West |
| 40 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 369,879 | Northeast |
| 41 | Sacramento | California | 369,365 | West |
| 42 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 368,383 | Midwest |
| 43 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 367,302 | South |
| 44 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 365,272 | West |
| 45 | Cincinnati | Ohio | 364,040 | Midwest |
| 46 | Miami | Florida | 358,548 | South |
| 47 | Fresno | California | 354,202 | West |
| 48 | Omaha | Nebraska | 335,795 | Midwest |
| 49 | Toledo | Ohio | 332,943 | Midwest |
| 50 | Buffalo | New York | 328,123 | Northeast |
| 51 | Wichita | Kansas | 304,011 | Midwest |
| 52 | Santa Ana | California | 293,742 | West |
| 53 | Mesa | Arizona | 288,091 | West |
| 54 | Colorado Springs | Colorado | 281,140 | West |
| 55 | Tampa | Florida | 280,015 | South |
| 56 | Newark | New Jersey | 275,221 | Northeast |
| 57 | Saint Paul | Minnesota | 272,235 | Midwest |
| 58 | Louisville | Kentucky | 269,063 | South |
| 59 | Anaheim | California | 266,406 | West |
| 60 | Birmingham | Alabama | 265,968 | South |
| 61 | Arlington | Texas | 261,721 | South |
| 62 | Norfolk | Virginia | 261,229 | South |
| 63 | Las Vegas | Nevada | 258,295 | West |
| 64 | Corpus Christi | Texas | 257,453 | South |
| 65 | St. Petersburg | Florida | 238,629 | South |
| 66 | Rochester | New York | 231,636 | Northeast |
| 67 | Jersey City | New Jersey | 228,537 | Northeast |
| 68 | Riverside | California | 226,505 | West |
| 69 | Anchorage | Alaska | 226,338 | West |
| 70 | Lexington-Fayette | Kentucky | 225,366 | South |
| 71 | Akron | Ohio | 223,019 | Midwest |
| 72 | Aurora | Colorado | 222,103 | West |
| 73 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 219,531 | South |
| 74 | Stockton | California | 210,943 | West |
| 75 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 207,951 | South |
| 76 | Richmond | Virginia | 203,056 | South |
| 77 | Shreveport | Louisiana | 198,525 | South |
| 78 | Jackson | Mississippi | 196,637 | South |
| 79 | Mobile | Alabama | 196,278 | South |
| 80 | Des Moines | Iowa | 193,187 | Midwest |
| 81 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 191,972 | Midwest |
| 82 | Madison | Wisconsin | 191,262 | Midwest |
| 83 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 189,126 | Midwest |
| 84 | Yonkers | New York | 188,082 | Northeast |
| 85 | Hialeah | Florida | 188,004 | South |
| 86 | Montgomery | Alabama | 187,106 | South |
| 87 | Lubbock | Texas | 186,206 | South |
| 88 | Greensboro | North Carolina | 183,521 | South |
| 89 | Dayton | Ohio | 182,044 | Midwest |
| 90 | Huntington Beach | California | 181,519 | West |
| 91 | Garland | Texas | 180,650 | South |
| 92 | Glendale | California | 180,038 | West |
| 93 | Columbus | Georgia | 178,681 | South |
| 94 | Spokane | Washington | 177,196 | West |
| 95 | Tacoma | Washington | 176,664 | West |
| 96 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 175,795 | South |
| 97 | Bakersfield | California | 174,820 | West |
| 98 | Fremont | California | 173,339 | West |
| 99 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | 173,072 | Midwest |
| 100 | Arlington | Virginia | 170,936 | South |