This is a list of US states by population as of July 1, 2008 according to the United States Census Bureau. The total population of the United States was 281,421,906 at the 2000 Census. As of July 1, 2008 the estimated population of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico was 305,986,357. The top nine states in population contain slightly more than half of the total population.