The United States is a growing nation - on a population perspective that is.  Thinking in terms of population growth, many census and statisticians will give you percentages.  For some, this is a good enough picture.  But for others, it just does not cut it in terms of visualizing how many people live in the United Sates 2010. 

Census through the years

So here is a quick run on the US census from the time of the first count was made.  Just for your information, the first census was taken in 1790 and the count came up with approximately 4 million people (that's not bad for a budding country).  The population crossed its 100 millionth mark somewhere between 1910 and 1920.  Now this is where it becomes really alarming. Just imagine adding up to the first 100 million in several centuries (that's still tolerable) now fast forward to the 1900s.  In just about 50 years, the 200 millionth mark was crossed!  Just think of how an additional 100 million people was spawned in just 50 years.  Now if you think that is incredible, just wait what happens in about 39 years from that point.  From 1967 when the population was around 200 million, to 2006 (39 years later), an additional 100 million people are living in the United States.  Now estimates of how many people live in the United States 2010 are still mixed but the bottom line is that the number is big.

Startling statistics

So who cares about statistics and population growth?  Perhaps it's time that you do.  The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of the United States in 2010 will be at 308.4 million (to be precise the estimate was at 308,400,408).  Don't ask me how they got this figure but they did!  To put how many people live in the United States 2010 estimate in perspective think of it this way:  there will be 1 birth every 8 seconds and 1 death every 12 seconds.  What about immigrants you way ask.  The census bureau estimates that there is 1 entering the country every 37 seconds (that's actually slower than the 1 for every 36 seconds in 2009).  Now, with a little math and tons of brain matter, the people from the census bureau pegged the growth of the population in 2010 at 1 person per 14 seconds.  Well, just imagine how many citizens are added after you have finished reading this article!

Population growth is fast becoming a world wide concern.  Why not, there's only so much space for the billions of people – and the number is growing.