EXAMPLE 3 California’s Quota

The Census Bureau recorded the apportionment population of the United States—as of April 1, 2010—to be 309,183,463. There are 435 seats in the House of Representatives; therefore, the standard divisor is

California’s quota was determined by dividing its apportionment population, 37,341,989, by this standard divisor. Thus,

This quota is slightly more than the quota that was computed with the 2000 census data, 52.447 seats. However, California’s apportionment, which must be a whole number, was unchanged at 53 seats.