States in the South and West gained residents — and political clout — at the expense of the Midwest and East, according to new census figures that will change the nation's political makeup.
The 2010 Census Bureau report, released Tuesday, officially put the U.S. population at 308.7 million, reflecting the lowest growth since the Great Depression. Texas and Nevada led the way, reinforcing a decades-long shift away from the traditional manufacturing belt and toward warmer regions of the country.
