Census data released — Colorado up 17 percent

Data from the 2010 United States Census was released today, showing Colorado with strong population gains–but not strong enough to gain an additional seat in the United States House of Representatives.

Colorado’s population increased by 17 percent from 2000 to 2010, compared with a gain of 9.7 percent in the country as a whole. Colorado’s population now tops five million, up by around 700,000 over the past decade.

Because of a shifting population, some traditionally Republican states will gain Congressional seats, while some Democratic states will lose seats.

Texas will gain four seats and Florida will gain two seats while Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington will gain one seat each.

Ohio and New York will each lose two seats while Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania will each lose one seat.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Census said information was not yet available regarding population changes in individual counties or Congressional districts. A spokesperson for the Colorado State demographer said county and CD numbers would be released in two to three months.

Without that information, there is no way yet to determine how Colorado’s own redistricting will be affected.

Scot Kersgaard has been managing editor of a political newspaper, editor and co-owner of a ski town newspaper, executive editor of eight high-tech magazines (where he worked with current Apple CEO Tim Cook), deputy press secretary to a U.S. Senator, and an outdoors columnist at the Rocky Mountain News. He has an English degree from the University of Washington. He was awarded a fellowship to study internet journalism at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He was student body president in college. He spends his free time hiking and skiing.

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