This is a list of colonial and pre-Federal U.S. historical population, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau based upon historical records and scholarship. The counts are for total population, including persons who were enslaved, but generally excluding Native Americans. According to the Census Bureau, these figures likely undercount enslaved people. Shaded blocks indicate periods before the colony was established or chartered, as well as times when it was part of another colony.
1610–1690
Name | Date Established | 1610 | 1620 | 1630 | 1640 | 1650 | 1660 | 1670 | 1680 | 1690 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connecticut | 1636 | — | — | — | 1,472 | 4,139 | 7,980 | 12,603 | 17,246 | 21,645 |
Delaware | 1664 | — | — | — | — | 185 | 540 | 700 | 1,005 | 1,482 |
Georgia | 1732 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Kentucky | 1792 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Maine | 1662 | — | — | 400 | 900 | 1,000 | — | — | — | — |
Maryland | 1632 | — | — | — | 583 | 4,504 | 8,426 | 13,226 | 17,904 | 24,024 |
Massachusetts | 1691 | — | — | 506 | 8,932 | 14,037 | 20,082 | 30,000 | 39,752 | 49,504 |
New Hampshire | 1629 | — | — | 500 | 1,055 | 1,305 | 1,555 | 1,805 | 2,047 | 4,164 |
New Jersey | 1664 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,000 | 3,400 | 8,000 |
New York | 1664 | — | — | 350 | 1,930 | 4,116 | 4,936 | 5,754 | 9,830 | 13,909 |
North Carolina | 1629 | — | — | — | — | — | 1,000 | 3,850 | 5,430 | 7,600 |
Pennsylvania | 1681 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 680 | 11,450 |
Plymouth | 1620 | — | 102 | 390 | 1,020 | 1,566 | 1,980 | 5,333 | 6,400 | 7,424 |
Rhode Island | 1663 | — | — | — | 300 | 785 | 1,539 | 2,155 | 3,017 | 4,224 |
South Carolina | 1629 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 200 | 1,200 | 3,900 |
Tennessee | 1790 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Vermont | 1777 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Virginia | 1606 | 350 | 2,200 | 2,500 | 10,442 | 18,731 | 27,020 | 35,309 | 43,596 | 53,046 |
Total | 350 | 2,302 | 4,246 | 25,734 | 49,368 | 75,058 | 111,935 | 151,507 | 210,372 |
1700–1780
Name | 1700 | 1710 | 1720 | 1730 | 1740 | 1750 | 1760 | 1770 | 1780 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connecticut | 25,970 | 39,450 | 58,830 | 75,530 | 89,580 | 111,280 | 142,470 | 183,881 | 206,701 |
Delaware | 2,470 | 3,645 | 5,385 | 9,170 | 19,870 | 28,704 | 33,250 | 35,496 | 45,385 |
Georgia | — | — | — | — | 2,021 | 5,200 | 9,578 | 23,375 | 56,071 |
Kentucky | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15,700 | 45,000 |
Maine | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20,000 | 31,257 | 49,133 |
Maryland | 29,604 | 42,741 | 66,133 | 91,113 | 116,093 | 141,073 | 162,267 | 202,599 | 245,474 |
Massachusetts | 55,941 | 62,390 | 91,008 | 114,116 | 151,613 | 188,000 | 202,600 | 235,308 | 268,627 |
New Hampshire | 4,658 | 5,681 | 9,375 | 10,755 | 23,256 | 27,505 | 39,093 | 62,396 | 87,802 |
New Jersey | 14,010 | 19,872 | 29,818 | 37,510 | 51,373 | 71,393 | 93,813 | 117,431 | 139,627 |
New York | 19,107 | 21,625 | 36,919 | 48,594 | 63,665 | 76,696 | 117,138 | 162,920 | 210,541 |
North Carolina | 10,720 | 15,120 | 21,270 | 30,000 | 51,760 | 72,984 | 110,442 | 197,200 | 270,133 |
Pennsylvania | 17,950 | 24,450 | 30,962 | 51,707 | 85,637 | 119,666 | 183,703 | 240,057 | 327,305 |
Rhode Island | 5,894 | 7,573 | 11,680 | 16,950 | 25,255 | 33,226 | 45,471 | 58,196 | 52,946 |
South Carolina | 5,704 | 10,883 | 17,048 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 64,000 | 94,074 | 124,244 | 180,000 |
Tennessee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1,000 | 10,000 |
Vermont | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10,000 | 47,620 |
Virginia | 58,560 | 78,281 | 87,757 | 114,000 | 180,440 | 231,033 | 339,726 | 447,016 | 538,004 |
Total | 250,588 | 331,711 | 466,185 | 629,445 | 905,563 | 1,170,760 | 1,593,625 | 2,148,076 | 2,780,369 |
See also
Notes
- ^ For 1660 through 1750, the population count for Maine's counties were included with Massachusetts.
- ^ Includes territory of modern-day Washington, D.C.
- ^ Plymouth became part of Massachusetts in 1691
- ^ From 1641 to 1679, New Hampshire was merged with Massachusetts, although a separate population count was maintained.
- ^ From 1629 to 1712, North Carolina and South Carolina were a single colony, the Province of Carolina.
- ^ Includes portions of modern-day West Virginia.
References
- Sutherland, Stella H. (1975). "Chapter Z: Colonial and Pre-Federal Statistics (Series Z 1-19: Estimated Population of American Colonies: 1610 to 1780)" (PDF). Bicentennial Edition: Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, Part 2. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. p. 1168.
- Sutherland 1975, p. 1152.