To say you are a Southerner who lives in the District of Columbia may raise some eyebrows, but according to the U.S. government, you are a true Southerner. In fact, sixteen states make up the South, and 36 percent of the U.S. population lives there, making it the most populated region in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are three smaller divisions of the southern region, including the South Atlantic, East South Central and West South Central.
There are eight states and one district included in the South Atlantic, which are those states that border the Atlantic Ocean and are considered in the southern region by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the Census Regions and Divisions of the United States, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia and Delaware make up the South Atlantic region. The projected population estimated for July 1, 2010 in the South Atlantic states is 59,791,781. These states have more residents than both the East South Central and West South Central divisions combined.
In the southern region labeled as the East South Central, there are four states, according to the U.S. States Census Bureau. Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee form this southern division. These states make up the core states of the traditional South, also known as Dixie, that was established before the Civil War. According to the U.S. Census estimated population totals for July 1, 2010, these four states include 18,063,711 residents. The East South Central states are projected to have the least amount of southern residents.
The westernmost states of the southern region as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau is the West South Central division, which includes four states, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, that consist of 426,094 square miles. As projected by the U.S. Census Bureau, the total population of the West South Central division is estimated at 35,728,122 people. This ranks the West South Central division as the second-most populated southern region in the U.S. The fourth most populated city in the U.S. and most populated southern city, Houston, is found in the West South Central state of Texas. As of 2000, there were 1,953,631 people living in Houston, according to the American Public University website data.
