Each month the Census Counts team compiles Census-related news from a wide swath of national and regional media outlets to keep data equity stakeholders informed and engaged.
As always, you can find earlier clips here.
August 27, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
AP News | News It’s official, the census says: Gay male couples like San Francisco. Lesbians like the Berkshires
Gay male couples tend to gravitate toward big cities on the U.S. coasts, while lesbian couples tend to prefer smaller, more pastoral cities or towns, according to 2020 census figures that reinforce some preconceived notions about LGBTQ+ communities in the U.S. Counties with the highest concentrations of male same-sex couple households were those that include San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston and Washington, D.C., according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released last week.
Mike Schneider | August 27, 2024
States
Louisiana
Axios New Orleans | News Louisianans’ life expectancy is lower than national average
Louisianans have an average life expectancy of 72.2 years, one of the worst in the country. The big picture: The U.S. average is 76.4 years as of 2021, per a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. Women are expected to live longer than men across the country. In Louisiana, women are expected to live 75.9 years, while men are at 68.8 years.
Alex Fitzpatrick, Carlie Kollath Wells | August 26, 2024
New Hampshire
New Hampshire Bulletin | News Despite post-COVID spike, New Hampshire still faces population challenges
New Hampshire’s population has grown since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic — but not from people being born here. In-migration accounted for all of the state’s population growth, according to an analysis by the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. Now, data indicates that the surge of people moving in is slowing down. A report this month from the NHFPI, a state think tank, pointed to U.S. Census data and state projections showing that the number of working-age people is expected to drop in the coming decades.
Ethan Dewitt | August 27, 2024
Texas
Axios Houston | News 🗳️ Latino voting power in Texas
Democrats have closed an enthusiasm gap among Latino voters in the weeks since President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll. Why it matters: The shift to a Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket has particularly energized Latino millennials — ages 28-43 — as well as younger Gen Z and female Latinos. Zoom in: Latinos represent a huge, fast-growing voting bloc in Texas. Though the largest concentration is in southern Texas, Latinos make up about a quarter of the voting-age population in Dallas-Fort Worth, per U.S. Census Bureau data.
Russell Contreras, Tasha Tsiaperas, Margaret Talev | August 21, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau to Announce National 2023 Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage Statistics
The U.S. Census Bureau is scheduled to hold an online news conference to announce the findings of three reports estimating income, poverty and health insurance coverage in the United States. The reports — Income in the United States: 2023, Poverty in the United States: 2023, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2023 — provide national statistics from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC).
Veronica Vaquer | August 27, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau to Host Webinar and Embargo for 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates
The U.S. Census Bureau is scheduled to hold a prerelease webinar about the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 1 p.m. ET. The webinar will provide tips for comparing geographies and statistics over time as well as resources for accessing ACS statistics. The ACS provides statistics about the nation’s people and housing, such as language spoken at home, education, commuting, employment, mortgage/rent status, income, poverty and health insurance coverage. It is the only source of local statistics for most of the 40-plus topics it covers.
Jewel Jordan | August 22, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Household Pulse Survey Phase 4.1 Monthly Data Release
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from Phase 4.1 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The HPS is an effort by the Census Bureau and other federal statistical agencies to measure how emergent issues are impacting U.S. households from a social and economic perspective. Topics for Phase 4.1 include employment status, spending, food security, housing, health, mental health, natural disasters, inflation and spending, vaccine receipt, COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, disability, income, social connection and child care arrangements, and a section on participation with the arts.
Public Information Office | August 20, 2024
August 19, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
KFF | News Disparities in Access to Air Conditioning And Implications for Heat-Related Health Risks
June 2024 marked the 13th-consecutive month of record-breaking high temperatures. In early July 2024, the Eastern and Central regions of the U.S. experienced a record breaking heat wave, that exposed more than 200 million people to 90 degree Fahrenheit weather for more than seven days. As of mid-July, 37 people were suspected to have died from heat-related causes, however this is likely an undercount. As temperatures continue to rise and extreme heat events become more frequent in the U.S., people of color and other underserved communities are likely to be disproportionately affected due to increased exposure to heat and more limited access to air conditioning. People of color and those with lower household incomes are more likely to say they lack air conditioning than their White and higher income counterparts.
Nambi Ndugga, Aubrey Winger, Drishti Pillai, Matthew Rae, & Samantha Artiga | August 16, 2024
Disability Scoop | News Census Rethinking How To Count Disability Population
After facing an uproar for trying to change the way it counts the number of Americans with disabilities, the U.S. Census Bureau will meet with advocates concerned about the potential for a severe undercount. Officials with the Census Bureau said they will convene with disability stakeholders Sept. 30 to “better understand challenges in data availability and access for their community.” The meeting comes after the Census Bureau proposed major modifications last year to its disability questions as part of an update to the American Community Survey. Officials backed off the plan after receiving over 12,000 comments, many of which were critical.
Michelle Diament | August 15, 2024
Reuters | News Fact Check: Kamala Harris’s birth certificate used to discredit her Indian, Jamaican heritage
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ birth certificate has been shared in posts online as proof that the Democratic presidential candidate is not of Asian American or Black Jamaican heritage.
Harris’ birth certificate in images online does not include her race. It lists her mother’s birthplace as India and her mother’s race as Caucasian, while her father’s birthplace is listed as Jamaica and his race as Jamaican. Harris’ mother, Shyamala Gopalan, self-identified as Caucasian in her daughter’s 1964 birth certificate. “Indians were classified as white/Caucasian in the US in the 1960s,” Prema Kurien, Daicoff Faculty Scholar at Syracuse University, said in an email.
Reuters Fact Check | August 14, 2024
Center for Innovation in Social Science | News The Census Project Co-Hosts Webinar with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
The Census Project will be co-hosting a webinar with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, on August 20, 12:00 -1:00 p.m. ET, titled: “The American Community Survey (ACS) – America’s Essential Economic and Social Data at Risk.”
The webinar will feature presentations by leaders from the public and private sectors who will discuss various uses of the ACS. It will also highlight recommendations for strengthening the ACS including The Census Project’s recently released research brief, “The Urgent National Need to Enhance the Quality and Timeliness of ACS Data.”
Shannon Landis | August 13, 2024
States
California
VOA News | News US adds census category for Americans of Middle Eastern, North African descent
The next time there is a census in the United States in 2030, Americans who trace their ancestral roots to the Middle East and North Africa will have their own demographic category – MENA. VOA’s Genia Dulot went to the Little Arabia neighborhood of Anaheim, California, to see what people think about the change.
Genia Dulot | August 13, 2024
Illinois
Fox Business | News DNC heads to Chicago as city nears a decade of population decline
The Democratic National Convention will be held this week in Chicago from Monday through Thursday, and while delegates flock to the site to rally for the Harris-Walz ticket, the Windy City is approaching a decade of declining population amid rising taxes and crime. A report by the Illinois Policy Institute found that Chicago has seen its population decline each of the last nine years with the city losing a net 128,034 residents, according to Census Bureau estimates. That left the Windy City with a population of 2,664,452 in 2023, which is Chicago’s smallest population since before the 1920 Census, when it had 2,701,705 residents. If current trends continue, the city is on track to lose its title of America’s third-largest city to Houston.
Eric Revell | August 19, 2024
New York
Financial Times | News Why is New York shrinking?
Over the past three years, the population has declined by almost 500,000. On a ranking of the country’s contracting cities, New York handily takes the top spot, shrinking by 400,000 more than the next on the list (Chicago). New York City is 6 per cent smaller than in 2020, the most severe decline in the largest 50 US cities over this horizon, after San Francisco (-7 per cent). To be fair, the pandemic hasn’t been great for urban life in general: the top 10 cities outside New York have collectively failed to add any new residents since 2020. Still, most cities have merely stagnated. New York has experienced an exodus.
Aziz Sunderji | August 19, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Business Trends and Outlook Survey Data Release
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a survey that measures business conditions and projections on an ongoing basis. The BTOS includes data for multiunit/multilocation businesses. BTOS will continue to collect data complementary to key items found on other Economic surveys, such as revenues, employees, hours, and inventories. Additional details on artificial intelligence use and types used were added for one cycle and released March 28, 2024.
Julie Iriondo | August 15, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau Releases 119th Congress Block Equivalency Files
The U.S. Census Bureau announced the release of the 119th Congress Block Equivalency Files. These files are the whole 2020 Census tabulation block representations of the 119th Congressional District plans as submitted by the states to the Census Bureau. The .ZIP file contains a national block equivalency file and individual state files for the five states (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, New York and North Carolina) that redrew their congressional district plans for the 119th Congress.
Kristina Barrett | August 15, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Blog Continued Insights From Our Community-of-the-Whole Approach
Here’s an insight to think about that emerged from my travel engagements: Public service can take many forms. We at the U.S. Census Bureau embrace our public service mission to provide quality data on our nation’s people, places and economy by collecting and publishing statistical data. But collecting, processing and then releasing statistical data followed by a ‘mic drop’ is never enough. We also undertake concerted communications and outreach efforts to help stakeholders and the public understand the availability, strengths and limitations of the data we provide. This further empowers data users to help their communities assess needs and govern, plan, and develop economic and other policies.
Robert L. Santos, Director, U.S. Census Bureau | August 13, 2024
August 12, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
ITIF | News The Census Bureau Confirms US Manufacturing Has Declined
The latest data from the United States Census Bureau (Census Bureau) demonstrates that manufacturing in America is steadily declining. Once the world leader in manufacturing, the U.S. relinquished that title in 2010, now producing $2.4 trillion less than China in manufacturing. Yet, pundits and Washington insiders continue to deny the facts, claiming that all is well in a concerted effort to avoid any blame for globalization. The comparison of the Census Bureau’s quinquennial manufacturing data from 2002 to 2022 reveals a stark and depressing reality: in just two decades, the number of manufacturing firms fell, jobs diminished, payroll failed to keep pace with national growth, and productivity stalled.
Meghan Ostertag | August 9, 2024
NBC News | News ‘Street Race’ question could enhance federal data on Latino racial experiences, UCLA report suggests
Asking Latinos about their “street race,” or how they’re perceived racially by strangers based on their physical appearance, could help improve how the government collects data about race and ethnicity, according to a new report from the Latino Policy and Politics Institute at UCLA. The ways in which federal government agencies, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, inquire about race and ethnicity — especially if one chooses just “Hispanic” or “Latino” — may not accurately reflect people’s experiences. This is particularly true for Black Latinos, according to the authors.
Nicole Acvedo | August 8, 2024
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | News Federal Data Inequities in U.S. Territories Hinder Inclusive and Precise Policymaking
The five U.S. Territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands — are excluded from most federal statistical products, a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows. That means that far less is known about the people, communities, agriculture, environment, and businesses in the territories compared to what is known about them in states, which in turn makes it harder to formulate policy and provide adequate resources for the roughly 4 million U.S. residents living in the territories.
Javier Balmaceda | August 7, 2024
The National Law Review | News Census Bureau May Add New Federal Race and Ethnicity Categories
The U.S. Census Bureau is seeking feedback on its plan to implement the White House’s newly adopted statistical standards for race and ethnicity data collection for federal agencies in 2027. Federal agencies must implement the new categories as soon as possible, but no later than March 28, 2029. On July 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau published a request for comment in the Federal Register seeking input on a proposal to adopt the new race and ethnicity standards that allow respondents to select multiple categories with which they identify by the 2027 collection cycle for the American Community Survey (ACS). The agency said the new standards would be implemented in ACS products by 2027, with dissemination in 2028.
Scott Kelly, Emily M. Halliday, Zachary V. Zagger of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. | August 6, 2024
States
California
Axios San Francisco | News California’s multiracial population is soaring
Former President Trump’s recent false attack questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity comes as the number of people in the U.S. identifying as multiracial is surging — particularly in California. Why it matters: Trump’s comments illuminate how some Americans consistently misunderstand the complexities of people from multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds and how those identities shape their lives. State of play: In California, 14.6% of the population, or nearly 6 million people, identify as multiracial. That’s up from 4.9%, around 1.8 million, in 2010.
Florida
AP News | News Why the fastest-growing place for young kids in the US is in the metro with the oldest residents
As one of the world’s largest retirement communities, The Villages in central Florida is known for its endless golf courses, having the oldest median age in the United States and its traffic-stopping golf-cart parades usually supporting a Republican candidate during campaign season. What it’s not known for is kids. Yet the area that is home to The Villages has become the fastest-growing metro for young children in the U.S. this decade. The number of children age 14 and younger has grown this decade by 18.4% in the Wildwood-The Villages metro area. The big reason is the working-age population has risen by 19.1%, making it also the fastest-growing metro area in the U.S. for that age group this decade, according to population estimates released this summer by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Mike Schneider | August 11, 2024
Pennsylvania
The Philadelphia Inquirer | News Philly is in its millennial era: People born between 1981 and 1996 make up the largest portion of city residents
Millennials make up the largest portion of Philadelphia’s population, according to U.S. Census data and data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The generation took the lead at the start of the century in Philadelphia, and its dominance has only grown. Unlike past generations, the number of millennials living in Philadelphia increased year-over-year as they aged from their early 20s into their 30s. And the city is getting older with them.
Lizzie Mulvey | August 11, 2024
South Dakota
South Dakota News Watch | News For increasing number of immigrants, a ‘new life in America’ starts in South Dakota
South Dakota’s increase of foreign-born population over the past 12 years exceeded the national average by three times, according to the American Community Survey Brief of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau report. The state’s population of people born overseas grew by 45.5% between 2010 and 2022, or 10,000 people, compared to 15.6% across the entire United States. Only North Dakota, where the foreign-born population grew from 17,000 to 38,000 people within the same 12 years, had a larger percentage increase.
Mariia Novoselia | August 12, 2024
Texas
Houston Chronicle | News Evolving Houston demographics in Sheila Jackson Lee’s district could lead to new voices in Congress
As the crowded battle to replace the late U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee shapes up under a rushed timeline, several contenders have centered their pitches on being a younger, fresher voice than former Mayor Sylvester Turner, a close ally of Jackson Lee whom many see as her natural replacement. Since Jackson Lee was first elected in the 1990s, the deep-blue 18th Congressional District has undergone rounds of redistricting and key demographic transformations. Despite voters not having a direct voice in picking her replacement this time, these changes will shape elections for years to come, experts said. Its evolving demographics, however, might open the door for a broader range of candidates in the future.
Yilun Cheng, Matt Zdun | August 12, 2024
Virginia
The Winchester Star | News As region diversifies, Hispanics lead Winchester’s population growth
The Hispanic population is the fastest-growing demographic in Winchester, according to recently released data for 2000 through 2023. During that 23-year period, the city’s population grew by almost 3,500 people, while the Hispanic population increased by 4,214 people, according to U.S. Census Bureau data tabulated by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center in late June. About 28,000 people currently live in Winchester. The recent information indicates that the Hispanic population accounted for all of Winchester’s growth from 2000 to 2023, according to Weldon Cooper Center demographer Hamilton Lombard. But there are more nuances to the numbers other than Hispanic people are moving to the region, he noted.
Tabitha Reeves | August 8, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
CDC | Report Mortality in the United States — Provisional Data, 2023 | MMWR
Provisional death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can guide public health policies and interventions intended to reduce mortality. More than 3 million persons died in the United States in 2023. The overall age-adjusted death rate in 2023 was 6.1% lower than in 2022. The overall death rate was highest among non-Hispanic Black or African American persons. The number of deaths from COVID-19 was 68.9% lower than in 2022. Timely and actionable data can guide public health policies and interventions for populations experiencing higher mortality.
Farida B. Ahmad, MPH; Jodi A. Cisewski, MPH; Robert N. Anderson, PhD | August 8, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau Announces New Chair and Five New Members to Census Scientific Advisory Committee
The U.S. Census Bureau has announced a new chair and appointed five new members to its Census Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC). The committee provides advice and recommendations on the design and implementation of Census Bureau programs and surveys. New committee chair, Barbara Entwisle, will begin serving as chair of the CSAC on August 15, 2024. Dr. Entwisle has served as a CSAC member since 2021 and as a Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Fellow of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Entwisle will head the committee which meets twice a year to address policy, research and technical issues relating to a full range of Census Bureau programs and activities, including census tests, policies and operations. Each CSAC member serves a three-year term.
Public Information Office | August 8, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau Releases Demographic Characteristics of Nonemployer Business Owners
Women owned 42.1% (12.0 million) of the nation’s 28.5 million nonemployer businesses (businesses without paid employees) and had $365.2 billion in receipts in 2021, according to the new Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics (NES-D) series released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Minorities, those classified as any race and ethnic combination other than non-Hispanic and White, owned 37.9% (10.8 million) of nonemployer businesses and had $419.6 billion in receipts. There were a total of 28.5 million nonemployer businesses with $1.5 trillion in receipts in 2021. This release also includes business owners’ urban and rural classification, receipt size of firm, legal form of organization (e.g., sole proprietorships and partnerships), and for the first time, tabulation of nonemployer business data by county.
Jewel Jordan | August 8, 2024
As always, you can find earlier clips here.
August 5, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
Associated Press | News Income gap between Black and white US residents shrank between Gen Xers and millennials, study says
The income gap between white and Black young adults was narrower for millenials than for Generation X, according to a new study that also found the chasm between white people born to wealthy and poor parents widened between the generations. By age 27, Black Americans born in 1978 to poor parents ended up earning almost $13,000 a year less than white Americans born to poor parents. That gap had narrowed to about $9,500 for those born in 1992, according to the study released last week by researchers at Harvard University and the U.S. Census Bureau. The shrinking gap between races was due to greater income mobility for poor Black children and drops in mobility for low-income white children, said the study, which showed little change in earnings outcomes for other race and ethnicity groups during this time period. A key factor was the employment rates of the communities that people lived in as children. Mobility improved for Black individuals where employment rates for Black parents increased. In communities where parental employment rates declined, mobility dropped for white individuals, the study said.
Mike Schneider | July 30, 2024
State
Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Inquirer| News Philly’s Latino population is the city’s fastest-growing demographic
U.S. Census numbers showing a population boom of more people moving into Connecticut from other states between 2021 and 2022 were incorrect, and it’s more likely Connecticut saw a net loss of 13,500 people to other states that year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and information posted on CT Data by Cynthia Willner and Jeff Borofsky. Connecticut has long experienced a net migration loss as more residents move to other states than move from other states into Connecticut, but according to the original data from the American Community Survey (ACS) published by the Census Bureau, Connecticut saw a dramatic turnaround, gaining 57,000 residents from other states between 2021 and 2022. The numbers were published by Connecticut media outlets (including Inside Investigator) and lauded by Gov. Ned Lamont and other political leaders as proof of Connecticut’s turnaround, bolstered by numerous media reports of New Yorkers, in particular, moving into Fairfield County during the pandemic.
Marc E Fitch | August 3, 2024
Connecticut
Inside Investigator| News Connecticut population boom goes bust after Census error
U.S. Census numbers showing a population boom of more people moving into Connecticut from other states between 2021 and 2022 were incorrect, and it’s more likely Connecticut saw a net loss of 13,500 people to other states that year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and information posted on CT Data by Cynthia Willner and Jeff Borofsky. Connecticut has long experienced a net migration loss as more residents move to other states than move from other states into Connecticut, but according to the original data from the American Community Survey (ACS) published by the Census Bureau, Connecticut saw a dramatic turnaround, gaining 57,000 residents from other states between 2021 and 2022. The numbers were published by Connecticut media outlets (including Inside Investigator) and lauded by Gov. Ned Lamont and other political leaders as proof of Connecticut’s turnaround, bolstered by numerous media reports of New Yorkers, in particular, moving into Fairfield County during the pandemic.
Marc E Fitch | July 29, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Household Data for Detailed Race and Ethnicity Groups, Tribes and Villages
The U.S. Census Bureau today released 2020 Census counts of households, along with information on household type and tenure (whether the home is owned or rented) for 300 detailed race and ethnicity groups and 1,187 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages. The 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File B (Detailed DHC-B) provides household information based on the race or ethnicity of the householder (the first adult in a household for whom census responses were provided). The Detailed DHC-B data are available for the nation, states, counties, places, census tracts and American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian (AIANNH) areas.
Stacy Gimbel Vindal | August 1, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau to Meet with Stakeholders on Disability Data Needs
The U.S. Census Bureau today announced plans to meet with disability community stakeholders September 30 in the D.C. metro area to better understand challenges in data availability and access for their community. In February, Census Bureau Director Robert Santos announced initial plans for this meeting based on feedback in response to a Federal Register notice outlining proposed changes to the American Community Survey (ACS). An overall theme in the more than 12,000 comments was a desire for more comprehensive engagement. Santos also announced that, based on the feedback, there would be no changes to the disability questions for the 2025 ACS.
July 31, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Report By 2060, Less Than 60% of Non-Hispanic White Population and About 65% of Non-Hispanic Multiracial Population Will Be Working Age
The nation as a whole is getting older, but not all race and Hispanic origin groups are aging at the same pace, a pattern that promises to alter the makeup of the U.S. working-age population for decades to come. About two-thirds of the total U.S. population was working age (ages 15 to 64) in 2022 and about 17% were 65 and older. But the non-Hispanic multiracial population, for example, had the smallest share (about 6%) of its population age 65 and older and the non-Hispanic White population the largest share (about 22%) in 2022, clear evidence that while the nation as a whole is becoming older, not all race and Hispanic origin groups are aging at the same rate.
Chanell Washington and Line Nana Mba | July 30, 2024
