U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Skip Header


2010 Census: The U.S. Census and the Amazing Apportionment Machine

Apportionment is the process of dividing the seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states based on the population figures collected during the decennial census. The number of seats in the House has grown with the country. Congress sets the number in law and increased the number to 435 in 1913. The Constitution set the number of representatives at 65 from 1787 until the first Census of 1790, when the it was increased to 105 members.

But how does apportionment actually work? Through animation, the U.S. Census Bureau helps explain how the apportionment formula is used to ensure equal representation for all, just like the Founding Fathers planned.

 

YouTube Channel

All video content created by the U.S. Census Bureau is available on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to get notifications when new content is uploaded and press the like button to share with other people.

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
Is this page helpful?
Thumbs Up Image Yes Thumbs Down Image No
NO THANKS
255 characters maximum 255 characters maximum reached
Thank you for your feedback.
Comments or suggestions?

Top

Back to Header