By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The Census Bureau said Thursday that Missouri gained 34,940 people last year, while Illinois grew by about 67,097.
Both increases are around a half-percent for each state.
The figures were part of data that show the U.S. population should hit 300 million sometime in the next four years.
New estimates now put Missouri's population at about 5.7 million people; Illinois has about 12.6 million. Illinois is still the fifth most populous state; Missouri is still ranked 17th.
| Missouri and Illinois Populations | |||
| 2003 Pop. Est. | 2002 Pop. Est. | Change | |
| Missouri | 5,704,484 | 5,669,544 | + 34,940 (0.6%) |
| Illinois | 12,653,544 | 12,586,447 | + 67,097 (0.5%) |