Exploring Population Data in the US
Questions:
(a) What is the population density of Austin, Texas in 2015?
(b) What is the population growth rate of Austin, Texas from 1990 to 2015?
(c) What is the current birth rate and death rate in the US?
(d) Is the US population growing or declining? How do you know?
Answers:
(a) The population density of Austin, Texas in 2015 was approximately 3,253 people per square mile.
(b) The population growth rate of Austin, Texas from 1990 to 2015 was approximately 77.47%.
(c) The current birth rate in the US is approximately 12.33 births per 1,000 population, and the current death rate is approximately 8.14 deaths per 1,000 population.
(d) The US population is growing. The positive population growth rate indicates that the number of births exceeds the number of deaths, resulting in overall population growth.
Population Density of Austin, Texas:
To calculate the population density of Austin, Texas in 2015, we divide the population (approximately 885,000 people) by the area (272 square miles):
Population density = Population / Area
Population density = 885,000 / 272
Population density ≈ 3,253 people per square mile
Population Growth Rate of Austin, Texas:
To calculate the population growth rate from 1990 to 2015, we use the formula:
Population growth rate = ((Final Population - Initial Population) / Initial Population) * 100
Population growth rate = ((885,000 - 497,000) / 497,000) * 100
Population growth rate ≈ 77.47%
Current Birth Rate and Death Rate in the US:
(a) The current birth rate in the US can be calculated by dividing the number of births (3,932,181) by the population (319 million):
Birth rate = Number of births / Population
Birth rate = 3,932,181 / 319,000,000
Birth rate ≈ 12.33 births per 1,000 population
(b) The current death rate in the US can be calculated by dividing the number of deaths (2,596,993) by the population (319 million):
Death rate = Number of deaths / Population
Death rate = 2,596,993 / 319,000,000
Death rate ≈ 8.14 deaths per 1,000 population
Overall Population Growth Rate in the US:
The overall population growth rate (r) can be calculated by subtracting the death rate from the birth rate:
Population growth rate (r) = Birth rate - Death rate
Population growth rate ≈ 12.33 - 8.14
Population growth rate ≈ 4.19 per 1,000 population
Based on the positive population growth rate, the US population is growing. The positive population growth rate indicates that the number of births exceeds the number of deaths, resulting in overall population growth.