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First Plan For 2030 Census Revealed
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The U.S. Census Bureau released its first version of the 2030 Census Operational Plan, which outlines the framework to conduct the nation's next decennial population and housing count.
The document, known as "Baseline 1," includes details on strategic goals, testing phases, and operational innovations, adapted from the 2020 plan to improve accuracy and efficiency.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Census Bureau press office outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The census is a constitutional mandate that has taken place every decade since 1790, and it has profound implications on the nation's political representation as well as where trillions of dollars worth of federal funding is allocated.
The data collected determines the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives, informs the redrawing of legislative districts, and guides decisions on the distribution of hundreds of billions in federal funds to hospitals, schools, infrastructure, and critical services across the country.
File photo: The headquarters of the U.S. Census Bureau is seen in Suitland, Maryland.
File photo: The headquarters of the U.S. Census Bureau is seen in Suitland, Maryland.
Brian Witte/AP
What To Know
The newly released plan gives a high-level overview of the work needed to produce a comprehensive population count in 2030.
The operational strategy is organized into seven key "concept areas:" identifying all possible addresses for enumeration, promoting participation, collecting and processing data from every living situation, researching data quality, delivering final results, program management, technology solutions, and providing necessary infrastructure.
According to the Census Bureau, the plan incorporates lessons learned from the 2020 Census, alongside feedback from public input and small-scale field tests.
Preparatory efforts for the next census began in 2019, with two major testing stages now forthcoming: the 2026 Census Test and the 2028 Dress Rehearsal, which are intended to refine procedures and technology in advance of full implementation.
These measures will ensure the Census Bureau has an evidence-based design for the 2030 Census, and give it an opportunity to refine its operational plan.
In its aims to improve on the 2020 method, the U.S. Census Bureau may be hoping to reduce any distrust or concern evoked by how the Census is carried out.
The 2020 Census faced significant scrutiny after President Donald Trump, in his first term, attempted to enhance review of citizenship status in the questionnaire and to exclude undocumented people from apportionment figures, although both policies were ruled against by the Supreme Court.
The COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in delays to procedures, and caused the Census Bureau to miss its legally mandated deadline for the first time since it was imposed in 1976.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Census Bureau said on its website: "The census asks questions of people in homes and group living situations, including how many people live or stay in each home, and the sex, age and race of each person. The goal is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place."
"The results of the census help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding, including grants and support to states, counties and communities are spent every year for the next decade. It helps communities get its fair share for schools, hospitals, roads, and public works. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location. These funds are based on population totals and breakdowns by sex, age, race and other factors. Your community benefits the most when the census counts everyone."
What Happens Next
The next Census will officially launch in 2030, covering the U.S. and its five territories, and mark the 25th population count in the country.
