US Population Reaches 303.2M

The US population will be 303.2 million on New Year's Day, the Census Bureau says, a 0.9% increase from last year. The nation is projected to add one person every 13 seconds in the new year—a birth every 8 seconds, a death every 11 seconds, and one migrant's arrival every 30 seconds, Reuters reports.

California remains the most populous state with 37 million residents, but Texas gained the most—about half a million. Nevada had the highest population growth, at 2.9%, followed closely by Arizona at 2.8%. Louisiana, meanwhile, gained 50,000 residents (1.2%), a hopeful sign in the wake of Katrina. (More Nevada stories.)