Appropriations Update
As reported in a September 27 Census Project blog, Congress and the White House agreed to a short-term spending measure to keep the federal government funded the first three months of Fiscal Year 2025, which begins October 1.
On September 26, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 341 to 82, and the U.S Senate voted 78 to 18, to pass the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act (H.R. 9747). The bill was sent to President Biden who quickly signed it into law on the same day.
With the exception of a few funding anomalies, the law extends spending for federal agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau, through December 20 at their current FY 2024 levels. As The Census Project reported on September 9, the Biden Administration did not request a funding anomaly for the Census Bureau, despite stakeholder concerns that we are nearing a precarious point in the decennial cycle where flat funding could jeopardize preparations for the 2030 Census, particularly the field tests.
Ideally, after the November 5 elections, Congress will return to Washington, D.C. for a “lame duck” session in which it will consider and pass all 12 Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills before the current continuing resolution (CR) expires. The Census Project will be tracking the FY 2025 appropriations deliberations and keeping census stakeholders apprised of developments.
Policy Update
Census Bureau Hosts Stakeholder Meeting to Discuss Disability Data Needs
On September 30, the Census Bureau convened a meeting with census stakeholders to discuss disability data needs. In a September 16 press release, the Bureau said that “the purpose of the meeting is to better understand challenges in data availability and access for the disability community based on feedback in response to a Federal Register notice outlining proposed changes to the American Community Survey (ACS).” Prior to the event, David Elliot from the Coalition for Human Needs, published a blog explaining the issues that were to be addressed at the September 30 meeting and encouraging interested stakeholders to engage.
The Census Project Interviewed for Center of Everywhere Podcast
On September 23, Mary Jo Mitchell, Co-Director of The Census Project, and Joan Naymark, Executive Director of Minnesotans for the American Community Survey (MACS), and a member of The Census Project Advisory Committee, were interviewed for the Center of Everywhere podcast. The podcast series, sponsored by the Center for Rural Policy and Development, highlights topics of interest to rural America. Joan and Mary Jo were asked to discuss issues including planning for the 2030 Census, the ACS, and the role that census data play in rural communities.
Census Scientific Advisory Committee Meets and Issues Recommendations
On September 19 and 20, the Census Bureau’s Census Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC) met to discuss a range of topics, including implementation of updated race and ethnicity standards, ACS Group Quarters Internet data collection, and Household Trends and Outlooks “Pulse” survey. Recordings from both days are posted on the CSAC home page.
House Census Oversight Committee Probes Impact of Census on Apportionment
On September 18, Representative James Comer (R-KY-1), who is Chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, released a letter he sent to Census Bureau Director Robert Santos. In his letter, Chairman Comer informed Director Santos that his committee, which has jurisdiction over the Census Bureau, “is conducting oversight of inaccuracies in the 2020 Census and their consequences on apportionment of representation among the states in the U.S. House of Representatives and the electoral college.” The chairman requested that the Bureau provide “documents and communications to assist the Committee in understanding any deficiencies that led to the inaccurate count and resulting apportionment, and whether legislation is necessary to ensure the 2030 Census does not suffer from avoidable errors.” To date, no follow up hearings have been announced or scheduled.
LCCHR Hosts Webinar Regarding Project 2025 and the Census
On September 18, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR) sponsored a webinar to raise awareness about the threats Project 2025 presents for the Census Bureau. On the same day, Meeta Anand, Senior Director of the LCCHR Census and Data Equity Program, and a member of The Census Project’s Advisory Committee, released a blog post entitled Project 2025 and the Census: Ghosts of Past, Present and Future. The post explores how past threats to the census can help illuminate what is being prescribed in Project 2025 and how such threats may manifest in the future.
NALEO Release Report on California Latino Electorate
On September 12, the National Association of Latino Elected Official (NALEO) Educational Fund released a report examining several aspects of California’s Latino electorate and its registered voters, informed by disaggregated data from the American Community Survey and Current Population Survey.
Census Bureau News
On September 27, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Census Open Innovation Labs (COIL) announced the launch of Phase 2 of the StatVentures Address Geolocation Challenge. Phase 2 rules and requirements are available on challenge.gov. The COIL Phase 1 winners were announced on September 6.
Three individuals were appointed to the 2030 Census Advisory Committee on September 27. The newly appointed members are: Terry Ao Minnis, senior director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice; Maya Berry, executive director, Arab American Institute; and, David Martinez III, director, Vitalyst Health Foundation. These new members will participate in the Committee’s next meeting which will be held October 17-18, 2024.
In a September 25 blog, Dr. Ron Jarmin, Deputy Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, shared news about the recent opening of the Puerto Rico Federal Statistical Research Data Center (PR FSRDC). Deputy Director Jarmin described the center, the first FSRDC in a U.S. territory, as “a monumental achievement that marks a new era for data-driven research and innovation in the territory.”
On September 24, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Osage Nation announced a historic agreement to share administrative data. The agreement, formally signed on August 16, 2024, establishes a framework for the Osage Nation to share administrative data directly with the Census Bureau. Data include education, military service, household information, employment, housing, income and expenses at the aggregate level. In a related “Director’s Blog,” Dr. Robert Santos, Census Bureau Director, opined about the implications of this important agreement.
In September, Census Bureau officials published multiple blogs via the agency’s “Research Matters” series:
- September 24, “Studying the Connection Between Intent to Participate and Actual Participation in the 2020 Census“
- September 10, “How Updating Annual Poverty Thresholds Impacts Poverty Rates“
- September 10, “Using Administrative Data to Evaluate Nonresponse Bias in the 2024 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement“
- September 4, “How Inflation Affects Incomes and Earnings Estimates.“
In a September 16 press release, the U.S. Census Bureau unveiled the agenda of its September 30 meeting with disability community stakeholders. The purpose of the meeting, which was aired on Census Live, was “to better understand challenges in data availability and access for the disability community based on feedback in response to a Federal Register notice outlining proposed changes to the American Community Survey (ACS).”
Census Bureau officials also published multiple blogs via the agency’s “Random Samplings” series:
- September 16, ‘Evolving the Household Pulse Survey“
- September 16, “Understanding the Supplemental Demographic and Housing Characteristics File“
- September 4, “Comparing Poverty Measures: Development of the Supplemental Poverty Measure and Differences with the Official Poverty Measure“
- September 4, “Health Insurance Coverage Measurement in Two Major Surveys“
In a September 12 press release, the Census Bureau announced that according to 2023 1-year American Community Survey estimates over 21 million renter households spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs in 2023, representing nearly half (49.7%) of the 42.5 million renter households in the United States for whom rent burden is calculated.
On September 10,the U.S. Census Bureau announced findings regarding income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States. These findings were derived from three Census Bureau reports: Income in the United States: 2023; Poverty in the United States: 2023; and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2023.
Census Bureau Data Releases
The U.S. Census Bureau announced the release of new geospatial data, including the first-time release of Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER)/Line files in GeoPackage format. GeoPackage files are spatial extracts that are based on the Open Geospatial Consortium Encoding Standard and can be used with geographic software.
On September 26, the U.S. Census Bureau released new tables on race and ancestry using 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year data. The data included in these tables are for demonstration purposes and are not official Census Bureau estimates.
New 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS), 5-year state-to-county migration flows were released on September 26.
On September 26, the 2022 Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) were released. The data provide measures of business dynamics, such as job creation and destruction.
On September 26, and September 12, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a survey that measures business conditions and projections on an ongoing basis.
On September 25, the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released new housing data from the 2023 American Housing Survey (AHS), marking half a century of housing insights.
The Supplemental Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (S-DHC), the final 2020 Census data product, was released on September 19.
On September 12, new data from Phase 4.2 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS) was released.
August 2024 Business Formation Statistics (BFS) were released on September 12. The BFS provide timely and high frequency information on new business applications and formations in the United States.
On September 9, the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the 2022 Local Estimates of Internet Adoption (LEIA), an experimental data product that measures Internet adoption at the county level.
News You Can Use
Below are several articles posted on The Census Project home page in September 2024. For a complete listing, go to: https://thecensusproject.org/recent-media/.
Most renters are paying more than they can afford in these cities and states
Consumer Affairs
September 25, 2024
Osage Nation Signs Agreement To Share Data With US Census Bureau
News on 6
September 25, 2024
Millions of people are missing from U.S. disability data
STAT
September 24, 2024
Incomes spiked over 17% in 1 year for households in this state – it’s not Florida, Texas, or New York
CNBC
September 22, 2024
You can make $200,000 a year and still be ‘middle class’ in these 3 states- they’re not California or New York
CNBC
September 20, 2024
Where Are America’s Most Expensive Towns?
The New York Times
September 19, 2024
1 in 10 eligible voters in the U.S. are naturalized citizens
Pew Research Center
September 19, 2024
US Multifamily Housing Completions Surge in Good Sign for Rents
Bloomberg
September 18, 2024
Map Shows the Average Age in Every US State
Newsweek
September 18, 2024
US economy on solid ground as retail sales surprise on the upside
Reuters
September 17, 2024
1 in 8 U.S. homeowners aren’t protected by homeowners insurance
NBC News
September 17, 2024
Rent, utilities rose faster than home values for first time in a decade
The Washington Post
September 12, 2024
Child Poverty Increases Despite Rising Wages in US
Newsweek
September 11, 2024
The gender wage gap just widened for the first time in 20 years
AXIOS
September 11, 2024
U.S. Incomes Climbed Last Year, Census Bureau Says
Wall Street Journal
September 10, 2024
St. Louis ranks high for same-sex couple households, U.S. Census shows
FOX 2
September 9, 2024
How the pandemic changed – and didn’t change – where Americans are moving
Brookings
September 6, 2024
Study ranks which states have most households without internet. Kentucky’s in the top 10
Louisville Courier-Journal
September 6, 2024
The American Dream Now Costs $4.4 Million
Investopedia
September 4, 2024
Americans moving at lowest rate in decades: Census Bureau analysis
The Hill?
September 2, 2024
