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.
March 25, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
USA Today | News These U.S. counties experienced the largest population declines
Each year the Census Bureau releases population estimates, giving insight into which states and counties U.S. residents are migrating to and where they’re leaving. The number of births, deaths and the rate of immigration into the U.S. also affects population growth and decline. More U.S. counties experienced population gains than losses last year, but some major counties in New York and California experience population declines at fast rates.
Sara Chernikoff | March 24, 2024
Michigan Advance | News Middle East and North African origin inclusion in federal data collection could be on the horizon
For far too long, MENA has been excluded as a separate race category in federal data collection — such as the decennial census — here in the United States, but is instead collapsed into the white or “other” categories. This means no federal agency has established an understanding of MENA Americans or their lived experiences. It also means the MENA-American experience has been systemically unaccounted for in federal data and has, therefore, long been excluded from the design and implementation of policies and programs intended to address civil rights and racial equity.
Simon Marshall-Shah | March 18, 2024
States
Arizona
Eastern Arizona Courier | News Proposed ballot measure would allow state to run its own census
Arizona would run its own census in 2030 and each 10 years thereafter that would include a tally of U.S. citizens — and use only that citizen-count to redraw state legislative districts under a Republican-backed proposal that could be placed on the November ballot. And the reason, the sponsor acknowledges, has everything to do with illegal immigration. The ballot referral is being touted by Rep. Justin Heap, a freshman Republican from Mesa, as a way to ensure that legislative districts are drawn without using what he called a skewed system that counts everyone instead of just people who are citizens and potentially eligible to vote.
Bob Christie | March 24, 2024
California
UCLA | News Ninez Ponce receives Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award for work in health and data equity
Whether leading the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, teaching graduate students at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health or speaking with lawmakers in Sacramento or Washington, D.C., Ninez Ponce is widely esteemed for her decades-long dedication to turning this ideal into reality. In her work, Ponce has helped ensure public health data collection goes beyond just including historically underrepresented communities; she has centered these communities to understand their unique needs and developed health programs and policies to address them. In recognition of this commitment, Ponce today received the 2024 Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award from the CDC Foundation and the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation.
Mike Fricano | March 20, 2024
NBS San Diego | News State lawmakers propose ethnicity box for Middle Eastern, North African communities
There’s a bill hoping to make its way to the House floor that represents a large population that call San Diego home. The California MENA Inclusion Act hopes to bring more attention to collecting demographic data on people who identify as Middle Eastern and North African. San Diego has one of the largest populations of Middle Eastern and North African communities. Amin Nash, policy and research coordinator for the Arab American Civic Council, said specifically in El Cajon, almost 40% of the population identifies as such.
Shellye Leggett | March 20, 2024
Tennessee
Tennessee Lookout | News Tennessee’s population growth puts it on track for additional U.S. House seat in 2032
Tennessee’s population swelled to 7.1 million people in 2023, the latest figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau show, putting the state on track to snag a 10th U.S. House of Representatives seat during the next redistricting cycle eight years from now. Tennessee’s population is now around 215,000 higher than the 2020 census count. Most of the population increase has occurred in Middle Tennessee, in the counties surrounding Nashville. But Knoxville and the counties around it have also seen an uptick in people.
Adam Friedman | March 25, 2024
Washington, D.C.
GW Hatchet | News US Census Bureau director talks diversity, new community-focused approach
The director of the U.S. Census Bureau discussed seeking feedback from a diverse set of voices and the Bureau’s new community-focused approach for 2030 at Ames Hall on Friday. Robert Santos, the 26th director of the U.S. Census Bureau since 2022, said the Bureau is working to foster collaboration with local communities and seek feedback on the census from more diverse communities, which is crucial to ensuring accurate results. The GW Department of Statistics hosted Santos as part of Georges’ Statistics Day, a statistics department event with DMV area statisticians and researchers. Santos said the Bureau faces numerous challenges while conducting surveys like respondents misunderstanding the questions or withholding information due to mistrust of the Bureau’s use for it. Santos said misrepresentations of the Bureau’s findings is also a prevalent issue, but the Bureau is working to reform itself to collect the most accurate data possible.
Elijah Edwards | March 25, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release New Annual Integrated Economic Survey Officially Launches
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from phase 4.0 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 4.0 include employment status, spending, food security, housing, health, mental health, natural disasters, inflation and spending, vaccine receipt, COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, shortage of critical products, disability, income, social connection and child care arrangements.
Julie Iriondo | March 20, 2024
March 18, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
The Wall Street Journal | News Immigration Drove America’s Postpandemic Urban Growth, Census Data Show
Accelerating immigration to the U.S. boosted population growth in major metropolitan areas last year, new figures released Thursday from the Census Bureau show. A Wall Street Journal analysis of county estimates for the year that ended June 30 shows that immigration was the main factor slowing or reversing population losses in large metros in the Northeast and Midwest after an exodus during the pandemic. Yet for some big U.S. cities, the latest figures offer a glimpse at how they still haven’t recovered from heavy outflows that started four years ago. New York City last year had a half million fewer people than it did at the start of the pandemic. San Francisco had lost about 65,000, the figures show.
Paul Overberg and Michelle Hackman | March 14, 2024
PRB | News PRB and U.S. Census Bureau Seek Steering Committee Members for Data User Groups
In partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is accepting applications for membership on two steering committees to help the Census Bureau engage data users, including a new committee focused on the decennial census. The deadline for applications is Thursday, April 4, 2024. PRB is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit research organization focused on improving people’s health and well-being through evidence-based policies and practices. PRB has been a long-term partner to the Census Bureau, helping to inform and educate the data user community about the importance and value of data from the American Community Survey (ACS) and the decennial census.
Rachel Wojnar | March 13, 2024
NBC | News Top 10 states with the highest population increase since 2022
Despite being the most populous region in the country presently, the South saw 87% of the growth between July 2022 and July 2023. According to the Census Bureau, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the only region that continued to have population growth. With over 1.4 million new residents over the past year, the region’s population now exceeds 130 million, a rise of 1.1%. Through internal migration, roughly 700,000 individuals moved from one region to another in the South. Over 500,000 individuals relocated to the South via foreign migration. As reported by The Hill, population gains of 1% or more were observed in Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Because fewer people died and immigration levels dropped to what they were before the pandemic, the population grew nationally in the previous year. The Census Bureau reports population growth in all but eight states this year. New York was the most severely affected, losing around 102,000 inhabitants.
Statista | March 12, 2024
States
Colorado
Colorado Health Institute | Report Disaggregating Data from the CHAS
As we explore issues like health coverage, access to health care, and the factors that influence health in Colorado, understanding strengths and disparities can help us see where we need to focus our efforts to achieve health equity. But we can do more. The race and ethnicity categories included on most surveys, including the CHAS, are so broad that they mask wide variations within specific communities. With support from our partners at the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, CHI began adding additional racial and ethnic sub-identities to the CHAS questionnaire in 2021. This new information paved the way for a process called data disaggregation. Data disaggregation is a set of methods used to uncover populations often hidden in data.
CHI | March 14, 2024
Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | News Atlanta metro area now 6th largest in U.S., Census Bureau estimates
The Atlanta metropolitan area has leapfrogged both Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia to become the nation’s sixth-largest metropolitan region, according to newly released population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The population in Atlanta’s 29-county region increased a little more than 1% to 6.3 million between 2022 and 2023, gaining nearly 69,000 residents. D.C. and Philly also grew, but not as fast as Atlanta.
Jennifer Peebles and Charles Minshew | March 14, 2024
Nebraska
Nebraska Today | News Bureau’s speaker series to feature Census director
Robert L. Santos, director of the United States Census Bureau, will visit the University of Nebraska–Lincoln March 20. The visit is hosted by the Bureau of Sociological Research. Santos will be giving a talk, “How Rural Data Informs the Future of Connected Communities,” at 3 p.m. in the Nebraska Union Auditorium, followed by a question and answer session. This talk, co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, is free and open to the public. During his visit, Santos will be visiting with BOSR staff and faculty and students.
Nebraska Today | March 17, 2024
New York
AP News | News NYC thinks Census Bureau estimates missed tens of thousands of asylum seekers
Three New York City boroughs lost almost 80,000 residents from people moving away last year, according to population estimates released Thursday, but city officials think those numbers are a vast undercount that doesn’t capture the influx of asylum seekers who came to the city. The city rented out entire hotels to house some of the tens of thousands of migrants who came to New York City last year and also put cots in schools and temporarily housed people in tents, a cruise ship terminal and a former police academy building. As many as 50,000 people were overlooked in the city’s shelters, according to city officials, who plan to challenge the 2023 population estimates with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Mike Schneider | March 14, 2024
Texas
Texas Tribune | News Texas counties lead the U.S. in population growth, Census says
Six out of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the U.S. from 2022 to 2023 are in Texas, according to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.Kaufman County, just east of Dallas, led the list with a 7.6% increase that brought its population over 185,000, Census data shows. Rockwall and Liberty counties followed closely behind, each with growth bursts of 6.5% and 5.7%, respectively. Population increases across the southern U.S. were largely due to people relocating from other parts of the country, Census officials said. On average, counties in the South experienced faster growth in 2023 than in 2022.
Madeleine Rubin | March 14, 2024
Washington, DC
The Washington Post | News Population rebound from pandemic continues in D.C. region, data show
The D.C. area’s rebound from the pandemic continued last year as the District and its surrounding counties continued to see steady growth — and their most significant population gains since 2018 — even as other major American cities contracted, according to estimates released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The D.C. metro area outpaced other Northeast cities in population growth rates, according to an analysis by Brookings Institution senior demographer William Frey, and added approximately 39,000 people to its overall population — with about 6,000 people, or a medium-size college, into the District alone. Most of that increase was driven by migrants from abroad.
Marissa J. Lang | March 14, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release More Counties Saw Population Gains in 2023
More U.S. counties experienced population gains than losses in 2023, as counties in the South saw faster growth and more Northeast and Midwest counties had population losses turn to gains, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2023 estimates of population and components of change released today. Approximately 60% (1,876) of U.S. counties gained population from 2022 to 2023, an increase from the 52% of counties (1,649) that experienced population growth between 2021 and 2022. Among the nation’s 3,144 counties, the average change from 2022 to 2023 was 0.29%, up from 0.17% the previous year.
Kristina Barrett | March 14, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau to Release Estimates of State and County Undercounts and Overcounts for Young Children in 2020
The U.S. Census Bureau is set to release on April 11 the Demographic Analysis estimates of state and county net coverage error for children ages 0 to 4 in the 2020 Census. This is the first time the Census Bureau is releasing these experimental Demographic Analysis estimates designed to help gauge the accuracy of the 2020 Census count of the nation’s youngest children. The Demographic Analysis estimates were developed using administrative records, such as birth and death records and estimates of international migration, to produce a count of the population as of April 1, 2020. This estimate is completely independent from the decennial census but can be compared to 2020 Census counts to help evaluate the quality of the census and plan for the 2030 Census.
Public Information Office | March 12, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Press Release Census Bureau and PRB Seek Steering Committee Members for Data User Groups
In partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is soliciting applications for membership on two separate steering committees to help us plan activities for engaging data users. PRB is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit research organization focused on improving people’s health and well-being through evidence-based policies and practices. PRB has been a long-term partner to the Census Bureau, helping to inform and educate the data user community about the importance and value of data from the American Community Survey (ACS) and the decennial census.
Public Information Office | March 12, 2024
March 11, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
BNN | News Senate Rejects GOP Bid to Exclude Non-Citizens from Census Counts Impacting Electoral Representation
The recent Senate vote has halted a Republican-led effort aimed at excluding non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, from the census count used to determine House district allocations and Electoral College votes. The amendment, proposed by Senator Bill Hagerty, sought to introduce a citizenship question to the census but was ultimately rejected, underscoring the contentious nature of this issue. The proposal by Sen. Hagerty was not merely about adding another question to the census. It was a strategic move aimed at significantly altering the landscape of political representation in the United States.
Ebenezer Mensah | March 10, 2024
Scientific American | News The estimated 2.5 million people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable
People often think of disasters as great equalizers. After all, a hurricane, tornado or wildfire doesn’t discriminate against those in its path. But the consequences for those impacted are not “one-size-fits-all.” That’s evident in the U.S. Census Bureau’s newly released results from its national household surveys showing who was displaced by disasters in 2023. Overall, the Census Bureau estimates that nearly 2.5 million Americans had to leave their homes because of disasters in 2023, whether for a short period or much longer. However, a closer look at demographics in the survey reveals much more about disaster risk in America and who is vulnerable.
Tricia Wachtendorf & James Kendra | March 6, 2024
States
California
State of Reform | News Latino Coalition for a Healthy California introduces legislation to disaggregate data collection for Indigenous Mesoamerican and Latine communities
Last year, the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) helped compose Senate Bill 435, which would have disaggregated data for Latine and Indigenous Mesoamerican communities in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, however, and the LCHC responded by presenting another bill with the same goals this year, SB 1016. California has the largest Hispanic populations in the country—making up nearly 40 percent of the state’s total population—and the fastest growing Mesoamerican community, according to Mar Valez, director of policy for LCHC. Known as the Latino and Indigenous Disparities Reduction Act, SB 1016 would collect demographic and language data on cultures like the Zapotec and Mayans.
Hannah Saunders | March 7, 2024
New Mexico
KRQE Albuquerque | News U.S. Census Bureau data reveals New Mexico continues upward hiring trend
The U.S. Census Bureau has just released its latest data on jobs around the nation. In New Mexico, the data shows an ongoing increase in hiring at private businesses. The data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Workforce Indicators. On Friday, they released the latest data, through the second quarter of 2023. In New Mexico, the number of quarterly hires for all privately owned businesses was nearly 150,000 hires in the second quarter of 2023. Zooming out, that represents a continued upward trend going back more than a decade.
Curtis Segarra | March 8, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology | Journal Article Reconsidering Sampling and Costs for Face-to-Face Surveys in the 21st Century
Some fundamental factors important for designing multistage face-to-face household surveys in the United States have not been reconsidered since they were established in the 1940s despite vast changes in all aspects of conducting these surveys. This research examines how some changes, particularly data sources and data collection costs, might affect sample designs. Modern data collection methods and tools, address-based household lists, multimode designs, and training and management methods are critical components in the cost structure of today’s surveys. We explore a sample design that uses Census tracts at the first stage rather than counties as traditionally used.
J Michael Brick, Tammy Cook, Jill M DeMatteis, Brad Edwards, Ryan Hubbard, Marcelo Simas | March 9, 2024
Federal Register | FRN Census Bureau Agency Information Collection Activities
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed,
and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is
to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed extension of the Business and
Professional Classification Report prior to the submission of the information collection request
(ICR) to OMB for approval.
Census Bureau, Department of Commerce | March 8, 2024
AAPI Data | Blog Strengthening Federal Data Will Better Serve Communities of Color
Rendering a community invisible is worse than being ignored. But that is what the federal government has done for decades when it comes to many communities of color, including Middle Eastern and North African communities, and various ethnic groups under the broad umbrella of racial categories such as Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI). Now, the federal government is on the cusp of revising its standards, pushing all federal agencies to collect data at the level of ethnicity in addition to race.
Gregg Orton, Karthick Ramakrishnan, and Akil Vohra | February 27, 2024
March 4, 2024 Census Coalition Clips
National
The Conversation| News Estimated 2.5 million people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable
People often think of disasters as great equalizers. After all, a hurricane, tornado or wildfire doesn’t discriminate against those in its path. But the consequences for those impacted are not “one-size-fits-all.” That’s evident in the U.S. Census Bureau’s newly released results from its national household surveys showing who was displaced by disasters in 2023. Overall, the Census Bureau estimates that nearly 2.5 million Americans had to leave their homes because of disasters in 2023, whether for a short period or much longer. However, a closer look at demographics in the survey reveals much more about disaster risk in America and who is vulnerable.
Tricia Wachtendorf & James Kenra | March 4, 2024
BNN | News US Census Webinar Highlights: Asian American Population Growth and Diversity Surge
The recent Census Academy webinar shed light on the significant growth and diversity of the Asian American population in the United States, marking a pivotal moment for demographic trends and economic implications. Titled “Exploring the Diversity and Growth of the Asian American Population,” this session delved into the intricacies of a community that reflects more than 30 nationalities and a wide array of cultural nuances.
Rafia Tasleem | March 3, 2024
EMEA Tribune | News Census Bureau director visits Indiana University School of Public Health
Robert L. Santos, director of the U.S. Census Bureau, dropped in at Indiana University last week as a guest of the I.U. School of Public Health. In an interview between engagements with students and faculty, Santos offered some reflections on how things are going for the federal agency. With research reporting widespread public distrust of Washington, how does the public perceive the Census Bureau? What does the public think about government employees knocking on the front door and asking the personal stuff — name, sex, age, and marital status of each occupant?
News Agencies | February 28, 2024
BNN | News Beyond the ‘White’ Box: The Quest for MENA Recognition in U.S. Census Categories
In a brightly lit room, surrounded by charts and filled with the buzz of earnest discussion, a group of researchers from The New York Times unveil the findings of a groundbreaking survey. Over two years and involving more than 5,300 U.S. residents of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent, ‘No Box to Check’ delves deep into the chasm between federal racial classifications and the personal identities of the MENA community. This investigation emerges at a pivotal moment, as the nation grapples with a federal structure struggling to keep pace with its diversifying populace.
Nimrah Khatoon | February 26, 2024
Blog Posts and Reports
The Leadership Conference | Blog Unveiling Health Care’s Hidden Stories: The Power of Disaggregated Data
Picture a health care landscape where the experiences and health outcomes of people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds are not lumped together, but instead they are categorically understood, respected, and addressed. Measuring health outcomes in the aggregate creates a blurred picture — a picture that conceals the unique experiences of distinct communities and obscures the prevalence of health conditions that disproportionately affect certain populations.
Oprah Cunningham| March 1, 2024
U.S. Census Bureau | Blog Reflecting on Years Past and Looking Forward to 2024
As we welcome 2024, I would like to take some time to reflect on the last year, on our staff and, of course, on our agency. I want to thank each member of the U.S. Census Bureau community for the work done to help support our mission – it’s an honor to work with you all. The Census Bureau is an agency of innovation, continuously transforming and advancing to keep up with technology and emerging socioeconomic trends. While the Census Bureau faces significant challenges, I know we have the talent, tenacity and teamwork to overcome them and deliver the high-quality, trusted data our nation and economy needs.
Ron Jarmin | February 29, 2024
