# how many people have every lived in the U.S.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-every-lived-in-the-u-s/467594 "2008-10-12T16:50:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-every-lived-in-the-u-s/467594/1 "2008-10-12T16:50:47Z")
I guess if we just include those parts of N.America that have been states, territories, etc. and start with the founding of the nation, how many people have lived in the U.S. in total? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-every-lived-in-the-u-s/467594/2 "2008-10-13T11:55:29Z")
If a general number is fine, it looks like the population of the US has on average grown about 130% per every 20 years, So assuming that there is a new generation every 20 years and that there are three generations alive at any given period of time: ```auto In millions total gen1 gen2 gen3 2010 310 131 101 78 1990 238 101 78 60 1970 183 78 60 46 1950 141 60 46 35 1930 108 46 35 27 1910 83 35 27 21 1890 64 27 21 16 1870 49 21 16 12 1850 38 16 12 10 1830 29 12 10 7 1810 22 10 7 6 1790 17 7 6 4 ``` So if we add all of gen1 from 1790 to 2010 plus gen2 and gen3 from 1790, we should have an estimate: 554 million people. Note that I am by no means a mathematician, so this might have a tremendous number of errors. Also note that even if I’m right, the 130% growth figure doesn’t track quite right with the actual numbers ([http://www.census.gov/population/censusdata/table-4.pdf](http://www.census.gov/population/censusdata/table-4.pdf) PDF) ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-have-every-lived-in-the-u-s/467594/3 "2008-10-31T01:38:50Z")
Thanks.