Concerns about census data accuracy have lead experts to worry about “the potential undercounting of various
groups in the country and how undercounts might affect federal funding allocation, redistricting efforts, and representation. The Union of Concerned Scientists released this report in July describing the possible effects that undercounting may have on specific populations.
From the Report: “. . . worries include potential undercounting of Hispanic populations in many communities and of young children, as well as underestimates of population at the state level (Epstein and Medina 2021; O’Hare et al. 2020; Bahrampour,
Rabinowitz, and Mellnik 2021). In this report, we seek to identify communities where undercounting and redistricting may affect representation, and we discuss best practices for censuses going forward to ensure communities are properly counted and represented.”
