Guide · updated 2026-09-30
How Census population estimates work
Short answer
The components of change
The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces the demographic components of population change, births, deaths and migration, at the national, state and county levels, and uses current data on them to compute change since the most recent decennial census. The 2020 census is the starting point for the estimates on this site.
The core identity is simple: population at the end of a year equals population at the start, plus births, minus deaths, plus people who moved in, minus people who moved out. Each term is estimated from current data on births, deaths and migration, not from a new count.
What a vintage is
Each yearly release is called a vintage and covers every year since the last census. In the Census Bureau's words, the latest vintage supersedes all previously produced estimates for those dates. So the Vintage 2024 figure for July 1, 2022 can differ from the Vintage 2022 figure for the same date, and the newer one is the one to use.
This site uses Vintage 2024. As of 2026-09-30 the Census Bureau lists Vintage 2025 as its most recent completed set, with estimates to July 1, 2025. The numbers here will move when the data is rebuilt on the newer vintage. Always compare figures from the same vintage.
How state totals are built on this site
Every state figure on this site is the sum of that state's county estimates. The ten most populous states hold 54.1% of the national total.
| State | County-equivalents | July 1, 2024 | Share of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 58 | 39,431,263 | 11.6% |
| Texas | 254 | 31,290,831 | 9.2% |
| Florida | 67 | 23,372,215 | 6.9% |
| New York | 62 | 19,867,248 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 67 | 13,078,751 | 3.8% |
| Illinois | 102 | 12,710,158 | 3.7% |
| Ohio | 88 | 11,883,304 | 3.5% |
| Georgia | 159 | 11,180,878 | 3.3% |
| North Carolina | 100 | 11,046,024 | 3.2% |
| Michigan | 83 | 10,140,459 | 3.0% |
Estimates for very small counties
Estimates are published for every county, including those with only a few hundred people. In a county that small, a handful of births or moves changes the total by a visible share, so treat year to year changes there with care. The ten smallest in Vintage 2024:
Estimates vs census counts vs survey data
A decennial census is a count. An estimate is a calculation from that count and administrative records. The American Community Survey is a sample survey used for characteristics such as income. The three answer different questions and should not be mixed in one ranking. Income figures on this site come from a fourth source, the model-based SAIPE program, described in the SAIPE income guide.
Estimates are precise, not exact
Estimates are published to the single person, such as 5,182,617 for Cook County, Illinois. That is a reporting convention, not a claim that the count is right to the last resident. When comparing two places, a gap of a few hundred people in a county of a million is noise. When a figure is used for a ranking on this site, ties are broken by FIPS code, not by pretending the difference is real.
How to cite an estimate
Name the program, the vintage and the reference date: "Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimate for July 1, 2024". Without the vintage, a reader cannot tell whether a newer release has replaced the number. Every page on this site that shows population states the vintage in its sources block, and the methodology page lists the exact files.
Try it
Population within a radius
Add up the 2024 population of places and counties whose internal point falls inside a circle you draw.
Answer
…
people in towns of 1,000+ within 25 miles (40.2 km) of Columbus, OH
- county population
- 1,869,720
- counties inside
- 5
- towns over 1,000
- …
- circle area
- 1,963 sq mi
Edit the question above to change the center or the radius.
Census Vintage 2024 estimates. Counts use internal points, so partly covered places and counties are all or nothing.
Questions people ask
Are population estimates the same as census counts?
No. The census is a count every ten years. Estimates are calculated for each year in between from births, deaths and migration.
When is a new vintage released?
The Census Bureau publishes a new vintage each year. Check its county population totals page for the current release before quoting a figure.
What is the least populous county in the US?
Loving County, TX, with 48 residents in the Vintage 2024 estimates.
What date do the population estimates refer to?
July 1 of each year. Vintage 2024 estimates run from the April 1, 2020 base to July 1, 2024.
Why did an older number for my county change?
Each new vintage revises every year back to the last census and replaces the earlier estimates.
Does this site use the newest vintage?
No. It uses Vintage 2024. The Census Bureau lists Vintage 2025 as its most recent set as of 2026-09-30.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
- 01Census Bureau population estimates program (last verified 2026-09-30)
- 02Census Bureau county population totals, 2020s (last verified 2026-09-30)
- 03Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.