By Hank Russell
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, severing the 13 colonies’ ties with Britain and paving the way for them to become a free and sovereign nation. As we celebrate Independence Day, we’re reminded that our Founding Fathers considered statistics so important that they enshrined in our Constitution a once-a-decade population count to determine each state’s share of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 2.5 million people lived in the 13 colonies when the U.S. was established in 1776. In 1790, the first census was published. It found that 3,929,214 people inhabited the country. Out of the 13 colonies, Delaware — the first state — had the smallest population with 59,096 residents, while Virginia had the largest at 691,737 residents.
Fast forward to the 2020 census. The total population increased over one hundredfold to 331,449,281. Delaware still had the smallest population, with 989,948 people in the First State. It is the only state whose population is under 1 million people. New York is the most populous, with 20,201,249. The state with the biggest jump in population over the 200-plus-year period was Georgia, from 82,548 people in 1790 to 10,711,908 in 2020.
As of July 1, 2025, the population of all 50 states is estimated at 341,784,857 residents.
Here are also some fun facts about our Founding Fathers:
There were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
- John Hancock, a merchant by trade, was the first signer. In 2022, more than 1 million business establishments with 17.1 million paid employees were in the retail trade industry, like Hancock.
- Benjamin Franklin, who represented Pennsylvania, was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence at age 70. Pennsylvania had a resident population of 13,059,432 on July 1, 2025.
- Edward Rutledge of South Carolina was the youngest signer at age 26. South Carolina had a resident population of 5,570,274 on July 1, 2025.
The Census Bureau also compiled a list of the most patriotic-sounding places in the United States. They are:
- Liberty, Mo. (2025 population 31,319).
- Liberty Hill, Texas (2025 population 13,317).
- New Freedom, Pa. (2025 population 5,116).
- Freedom, Wis. (2025 population 6,354).
- Independence, Ky. (2025 population 30,198).
- Union City, N.J. (2025 population 66,656).
- Bald Eagle Township, Pa. (2025 population 2,047).
- Eagle Pass, Texas (2025 population 28,926).
- Patriot, Ind. (2025 population 209).
- American Fork, Utah (2025 population 41,020).
- Flagstaff, Ariz. (2025 population 77,260).
- Justice, Ill. (2025 population 12,285).