VITAL STATISTICS: Westward Ho!

The U.S. population has jumped 10,986,725 since 1940, the Census Bureau reported, and now stands at a whopping 142,656,000. California made the biggest gain—2,485,000, as of July 1, 1946—to become the third most populous state. In the 1940 census, it ranked fifth; now only New York and Pennsylvania are ahead of it. Of the ten leading states, only Missouri dropped in population; it lost 8,414 residents.

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