The Census Bureau projected today that the U.S. population will reach 305.5 million on New Year's Day. That's an increase of 2.74 million people, or 0.9 percent, from the first day of 2008.

The exact number Census projects the population to hit on January 1, 2009, is 305,529,237. With one birth expected every eight seconds, one death every 12 seconds and net international migration expected to add one person every 36 seconds, the population should increase next year by one person every 14 seconds.