U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2010 Guide to State and Local Census Geography

Written by: Katy Rossiter, Geographer, Geography Division, US Census Bureau

Have you ever wondered how many counties are in Michigan? (63!) Or, what the largest city in Wyoming is?  (Cheyenne!)  Did you know that Montpelier, Vermont has the smallest population of any state capital with just 7,855 people (as of the 2010 Census)?  All of these facts, along with many more, are available in the 2010 Guide to State and Local Census Geography recently released by the Census Bureau.

The 2010 Guide to State and Local Census Geography is filled with geographic history, interesting facts, and important population information for each state and state equivalent.  The first Guide to State and Local Census Geography was issued in June 1993 and contained an overview of census geography and key geographic concepts for each state and state equivalents as it related to the 1990 Census.  The Census Bureau has updated this publication based on the 2010 Census and made it available as a web publication.

Here is a peak at some of the information that the publication includes about each state and equivalents:

• 2010 Census Population
• Land Area
• Density
• Capital
• Date Became a State
• Bordering States
• International Borders
• Postal Abbreviation
• Most Populous, Largest in Area, and Most Densely Populated Areas
• Historical Centers of Population
• And many more

You can view the Guide to State and Local Census Geography for each of the state or equivalent entities. They are a great resource for understanding each state’s unique geography.  They are also a great resource for trivia night!