1980 United States Census


The United States Census of 1980, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 Census. It was the first census in which a state – California – recorded a population of 20 million people, as well as the first in which all states recorded populations of over 400,000.

Census questions

The 1980 census collected the following information from all respondents:
It was the first census not to ask for the name of the "head of household."
Approximately 16 percent of households received a "long form" of the 1980 census, which contained over 100 questions. Full documentation on the 1980 census, including census forms and a procedural history, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.

Data availability

from the 1980 census are freely available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System. Personally identifiable information will be available in 2052.

State rankings

Between the 1980 census and the 1990 census, the United States' population increased by approximately 22,164,837 or 9.8%.

City rankings

RankCityStatePopulationRegion
01New YorkNew York7,071,639Northeast
02ChicagoIllinois3,005,072Midwest
03Los AngelesCalifornia2,966,850West
04PhiladelphiaPennsylvania1,688,210Northeast
05HoustonTexas1,595,138South
06DetroitMichigan1,203,339Midwest
07DallasTexas904,078South
08San DiegoCalifornia875,538West
09PhoenixArizona789,704West
10BaltimoreMaryland786,775South
11San AntonioTexas785,880South
12IndianapolisIndiana700,807Midwest
13San FranciscoCalifornia678,974West
14MemphisTennessee646,356South
15WashingtonDistrict of Columbia638,333South
16MilwaukeeWisconsin636,212Midwest
17San JoseCalifornia629,442West
18ClevelandOhio573,822Midwest
19ColumbusOhio564,871Midwest
20BostonMassachusetts562,994Northeast
21New OrleansLouisiana557,515South
22JacksonvilleFlorida540,920South
23SeattleWashington493,846West
24DenverColorado492,365West
25Nashville-DavidsonTennessee455,651South
26St. LouisMissouri453,085Midwest
27Kansas CityMissouri448,159Midwest
28El PasoTexas425,259South
29AtlantaGeorgia425,022South
30PittsburghPennsylvania423,938Northeast
31Oklahoma CityOklahoma403,213South
32CincinnatiOhio385,457Midwest
33Fort WorthTexas385,164South
34MinneapolisMinnesota370,951Midwest
35PortlandOregon366,383West
36HonoluluHawaii365,048West
37Long BeachCalifornia361,334West
38TulsaOklahoma360,919South
39BuffaloNew York357,870Northeast
40ToledoOhio354,635Midwest
41MiamiFlorida346,865South
42AustinTexas345,496South
43OaklandCalifornia339,337West
44AlbuquerqueNew Mexico331,767West
45TucsonArizona330,537West
46NewarkNew Jersey329,248Northeast
47CharlotteNorth Carolina314,447South
48OmahaNebraska314,255Midwest
49LouisvilleKentucky298,451South
50BirminghamAlabama284,413South
51WichitaKansas279,272Midwest
52SacramentoCalifornia275,741West
53TampaFlorida271,523South
54Saint PaulMinnesota270,230Midwest
55NorfolkVirginia266,979South
56Virginia BeachVirginia262,199South
57RochesterNew York241,741Northeast
58St. PetersburgFlorida238,647South
59AkronOhio237,177Midwest
60Corpus ChristiTexas231,999South
61Jersey CityNew Jersey223,532Northeast
62Baton RougeLouisiana219,419South
63AnaheimCalifornia219,311West
64RichmondVirginia219,214South
65FresnoCalifornia218,202West
66Colorado SpringsColorado215,150West
67ShreveportLouisiana205,820South
68Lexington-FayetteKentucky204,165South
69Santa AnaCalifornia203,713West
70DaytonOhio203,371Midwest
71JacksonMississippi202,895South
72MobileAlabama200,452South
73YonkersNew York195,351Northeast
74Des MoinesIowa191,003Midwest
75Grand RapidsMichigan181,843Midwest
76MontgomeryAlabama177,857South
77KnoxvilleTennessee175,030South
78AnchorageAlaska174,431West
79LubbockTexas173,979South
80Fort WayneIndiana172,196Midwest
81LincolnNebraska171,932Midwest
82SpokaneWashington171,300West
83RiversideCalifornia170,876West
84MadisonWisconsin170,616Midwest
85Huntington BeachCalifornia170,505West
86SyracuseNew York170,105Northeast
87ChattanoogaTennessee169,565South
88ColumbusGeorgia169,441South
89Las VegasNevada164,674West
90MetairieLouisiana164,160South
91Salt Lake CityUtah163,033West
92WorcesterMassachusetts161,799Northeast
93WarrenMichigan161,134Midwest
94Kansas CityKansas161,087Midwest
95ArlingtonTexas160,113South
96FlintMichigan159,611Midwest
97AuroraColorado158,588West
98TacomaWashington158,501West
99Little RockArkansas158,461South
100ProvidenceRhode Island156,804Northeast