Census Bureau

The Senate has confirmed the 1st Latino to lead the U.S. census, Robert Santos

6:39pm November 04, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

Robert Santos, one of the country's leading statisticians, is set to lead the Census Bureau through 2026 during key preparations for the next head count that forms U.S. democracy's foundations.

Dancers perform during a promotional event for the U.S. census in New York City's Times Square in September 2020.

The 2020 census likely left out people of color at rates higher than a decade ago

10:21am November 02, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

After COVID-19 disruptions and Trump administration interference, last year's national head count may have undercounted people of color at higher rates than in 2010, an Urban Institute study finds.

A person wearing a mask walks past posters encouraging census participation in Seattle in April 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted not only last year's national head count, but also a critical follow-up survey that the U.S. Census Bureau relies

How many people of color did the 2020 census miss? COVID makes it harder to tell

4:50pm October 09, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

A final round of door knocking for a follow-up survey is now set to last until early 2022, raising concerns about whether the bureau can determine which groups were undercounted in the 2020 census.

Growing numbers of Latinos identifying as "Some other race" for the U.S. census have boosted the category to become the country's second-largest racial group after "White." Researchers are concerned the catchall grouping obscures many Latinx people's iden

National

1 In 7 People Mark 'Some Other Race' On The U.S. Census. That's A Big Data Problem

2:25pm September 30, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

Growing numbers of Latinos turned a mysterious census category into the country's second-largest racial group. Researchers say that makes it harder to address racial inequities over the next decade.

People pass by a "Complete the census" sign along New York City's Hudson River Greenway in September 2020.

An Independent Review Of The 1st 2020 Census Results Found No Major Irregularities

12:22pm September 14, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

Census experts with the American Statistical Association have been evaluating the state population numbers used to reallocate congressional seats and Electoral College votes for the next decade.

Change in "White" population between the 2010 and 2020 US Census

This Is How The White Population Is Actually Changing Based On New Census Data

1:59pm August 22, 2021

The white population is still the largest racial group in the U.S. Whether it is declining depends on how you define "white." Narrow definitions, researchers warn, can be misleading and dangerous.

Whitney Turner, an employee of the U.S. Census Bureau, holds an "I count" sign at a 2020 census advertising campaign event in Washington, D.C., in January 2020.

What The New Census Data Can — And Can't — Tell Us About People Living In The U.S.

12:07pm August 12, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

No census has been perfect. COVID-19, Trump officials' interference and the Census Bureau's new privacy protections have raised concerns about the reliability of demographic data from the 2020 count.

A resident of Reading, Pa., fills out a U.S. census form in 2010. The White House's Office of Management and Budget says it's reviewing proposals that the Census Bureau's researchers say would allow the census to gather more accurate race and ethnicity da

Biden Is Reviving An Effort To Change How The Census Asks About Race And Ethnicity

9:43am July 19, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

The Trump administration had stalled on reviewing the proposals, which the Census Bureau says would produce more accurate data about Latinos and people with roots in the Middle East or North Africa.

James F. Holmes, the first-ever person of color to oversee the U.S. head count, stands inside his office at the Census Bureau's former headquarters in Suitland, Md., in 1998, when Holmes served as acting director for about nine months.

U.S. Census Directors Were All White Until James F. Holmes Stepped In

7:57pm July 18, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

For more than 200 years, the census was overseen by white leaders. Holmes' 1998 stint as acting director blazed a trail for Biden's pick, who may become the count's first permanent director of color.

Robert Santos, President Biden's nominee for director of the U.S. Census Bureau, testified before the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday. If confirmed, Santos, who is Latinx, would become the first person of color to

Biden's Historic Pick For Census Director Says Bureau Needs To Build Public Trust

3:59pm July 15, 2021

by Hansi Lo Wang

Robert Santos, one of the country's leading statisticians, could become the first person of color to lead the U.S. Census Bureau as a Senate-confirmed director.