Census Data and Geography

Federal Register Notice Comment Period for OMB Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards Extended to April 27

By EditorApr 07, 2023

U.S. Census Bureau News Release April 7, 2023 — On January 27, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published a notice and request for comments on “Initial Proposals for Updating OMB’s Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards.” OMB is extending the public comment period for that notice, which currently closes on April 12, 2023, by 15 days. The comment period will now remain open until April 27, 2023, to allow additional time for the public to review and comment on the initial proposals. You can submit comments by clicking the link above and following the instructions. Background OMB maintains government-wide standards for…

Census Data and Geography, NEWScensus, data, dataindepth, IN-DEPTH, U.S. Census Bureau

Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Results of Racial Identification for the Self-Reported Hispanic or Latino Population

By EditorMar 28, 2023

News Release — Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released results showing how people who identify as being of Hispanic or Latino origin (referred to as the Hispanic population) self-reported their race in the 2020 Census. The nonresponse rate to the race question for the Hispanic population decreased from 13.0% in 2010 to 8.1% in 2020, but there were major shifts in race reporting within the Hispanic population compared to the 2010 Census. The data show that the Hispanic population reporting one race decreased from over 81.6% in 2010 to less than 57.8% in 2020. Meanwhile, over one-third of the Hispanic population reported two or…

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New York Law School Launches Public Redistricting Mapping Project

By EditorOct 31, 2021

New York, NY (October 27, 2021) – New York Law School’s (NYLS) New York Census and Redistricting Institute has launched a statewide Public Mapping Redistricting Project to coincide with the 2021 state redistricting cycle. Student teams from New York’s higher education institutions have been invited to participate in drafting maps for New York’s congressional, state senate, and state assembly districts and submit them to the State. They will use free online software and data, along with specialized training, to draw model maps. The Project, developed by NYLS Adjunct Professor and Director of the Census and Redistricting Institute Jeffrey M. Wice, kicked shortly after the release of…

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Census Bureau Delivers 2020 Census Redistricting Data in Easier-to-Use Format

By EditorSep 16, 2021

SEPT. 16, 2021 — The U.S. Census Bureau today released the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File to states and the public in an easier-to-use format. These data are now available on data.census.gov. They are identical to those released Aug. 12 on the Census Bureau’s FTP site and in various data visualizations. The Census Bureau has also delivered to states an easy-to-use toolkit of DVDs and flash drives with integrated browsing software to use in redrawing their congressional and state legislative district boundaries. Topics in both formats include 2020 Census population counts by race, Hispanic origin, voting age and housing unit data for counties, places, census tracts and blocks.…

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Census Bureau Announces “Early” Release Date for Easier-to-Use Formats for Redistricting Data

By EditorSep 01, 2021

Press Release SEPT. 1, 2021 — The U.S. Census Bureau will release easier-to-use formats of the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File on September 16. Also on September 16, redistricting data will be available through the Census Bureau’s primary data dissemination tool, data.census.gov. The Census Bureau will also deliver an easy-to-use toolkit of DVDs and flash drives to state officials and public bodies responsible for their state’s legislative apportionment or districting. These data — first released August 12 — are currently available in a legacy format on the Census Bureau’s FTP site. These data are also available through various data visualizations. More information, including links to the…

Census Data and Geography, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting Functionscensus, census 2020, dataindepth, national, U.S. Census Bureau

Census Bureau to Release Redistricting Data on Aug. 12. Four Days Early.

By EditorAug 05, 2021

U.S. Census Bureau Press Release: August 5, 2021. The U.S. Census Bureau will hold a news conference to discuss the release of the first local level results from the 2020 Census. States use these data on race, Hispanic origin, and the voting-age population to redraw the boundaries of their congressional and state legislative districts. The news conference will provide initial analysis of the first local level results from the 2020 Census on population change, race, ethnicity, the age 18 and over population, and housing occupancy status. A live Q&A session with Census Bureau subject-matter experts will immediately follow the briefing…

Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting Functionscensus, census 2020, national, redistricting data, U.S. Census Bureau

Recent Census Data Developments Call into Question its Suitability for Redistricting

By EditorAug 01, 2021

In the span of just a few days and just weeks before official census redistricting data is scheduled to be released, the Census Bureau reveals two rather startling revelations about the data. "Fuzzy Blocks" First, the Acting Census Director Ron Jarmin warned in the Director's Blog that the information in individual census blocks - the smallest and most detailed unit of data - will appear "fuzzy" and at times nonsensical due to the Bureau's application of privacy measures, and thus should not be used for building redistricting maps. Blocks are often used as the basic building blocks of redistricting maps…

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Union of Concerned Scientists Release Report on 2020 Census Data Accuracy

By EditorJul 30, 2021

Concerns about census data accuracy have lead experts to worry about "the potential undercounting of variousgroups 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…

Census Data and Geography, DATA and TECHNOLOGY, NEWS, Redistrictingcensus, census 2020, dataindepth, national, U.S. Census Bureau

Redistricting Data: What to Expect and When

By EditorJul 28, 2021

Director's Blog - BY DR. RON JARMIN, ACTING DIRECTOR: Since releasing the apportionment results in April, we’ve had several teams working hard on the next set of 2020 Census data — the redistricting data. These data play an important role in our democracy and will begin to illuminate the changes to the local and demographic makeup of our nation over the last decade. These data include the first sub-state population counts and demographic characteristics from the census, information that states typically use for redistricting — the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries based on where their populations have increased or…

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Resources Available to Prepare for the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Release

By EditorJul 28, 2021

Press Release- BY JAMES WHITEHORNE, CHIEF, REDISTRICTING DATA AND VOTING RIGHTS OFFICE: In a few weeks, we’ll release the 2020 Census redistricting data in our legacy summary file format. And a few weeks after that, we’ll release the same data in an easier-to-use format. We’re releasing the same data twice but in different formats at different times to make sure states get the data as quickly as possible. Acting Director Dr. Ron Jarmin explained these two releases in his blog, Redistricting Data: What to Expect and When. In this blog, I provide more detail about the formats and support materials available,…

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