What population did the first United States census record in 1790?

The first United States census recorded a population of 3,929,214 in 1790.

The census counted the population as of August 2, 1790, following the Constitution’s requirement for an enumeration. United States marshals conducted the count in the states, the districts of Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont, and the Southwest Territory. The figures included free people and enslaved people under the categories specified by federal law.

Virginia had the largest recorded population, with 747,610 people, while Delaware had the smallest among the states, with 59,094. The census was published in 1791. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both believed the result understated the country’s actual population, partly because of the difficulty of reaching scattered households.

The total is easy to confuse with later census figures or with estimates that attempt to account for undercounting. The official historical answer is 3,929,214, the number reported by the first federal census. Modern censuses occur every ten years and are administered by the Census Bureau.