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The Census Bureau held a news conference to release the 2020 population counts for apportionment. The results included population totals for the nation and the states as well as the congressional apportionment totals for each state.

 

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

Michael C. Cook, Sr., Chief, Public Information Office, U.S. Census Bureau (moderator)

  • This decade, many households completed the questionnaire online

 

Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, Department of Commerce

  • Thanks Census staff and participants
  • Data is also used by state/local officials and nonprofits
  • Is used to determine funding for public housing, funding for education, where to build infrastructure, etc.
  • President will now deliver the data to Congress
  • Redistricting data will be delivered no later than September 30

 

Ron Jarmin, Acting Director, U.S. Census Bureau

  • Provides an overview of the history of the Census count
  • Count began in January 2020 and adapted operations/schedule due to COVID-19 and natural disasters
  • Where able to review through past responses, tax records, and other public documents
  • Population count is 331,449,281; increase in 7.4% from 2010, lower than the previous growth rate
  • South grew the fastest with a 10.2% population change, but is lower than in the last Census count
  • California has the largest population with 39,538,223
  • Texas is among the 10 most populous states
  • Utah was the fastest growing state in terms of population by 18.4%
  • Since 1940 is a combined net shift of 84 seats from the North to the South
  • Smallest number of seats shifted
  • Texas will gain 2 seats in the House of Representatives
    • Colorado, Florida, and other states will gain 1 seat
  • California will lose 1 seat in the House along with Illinois, Michigan, and others
  • 37 state’s seats will stay the same number
  • Four most represented states; California 52, Texas 38, Florida 28, and NY with 26
  • Are confident the results meet high data-quality standards
  • Statistics on age, sex, and ethnicity will be released later
  • States will receive data they need to begin redistricting by August 16
  • States will receive complete redistricting data toolkit by September 30

 

Spotlight on Questions and Answers:

 

Q: Estimates showed Texas was supposed to gain 3, but only gained 2; why did they not get the seats they were expecting? Were Hispanics overlooked?

  • Jarmin – Did all we could to ensure we captured everyone; population growth slowed significantly, and those guesses may have been based on
  • Karen Battle, CB – 2020 Census counts were below estimates

 

Q: Why were earlier population estimates overshooting?

  • Tori Velkoff – Are confident in the quality of the data; estimates are just estimates

 

Q: Any indication of where New York’s population is going? How close was New York from losing a seat?

  • Karen Battle – Were more people moving out than in, does not have specific data
  • Tori Velkoff – Population grew by 4.2%
  • Kristin Koslep – If New York had 89 more people, would have received another seat; last seat went to Minnesota

 

Q: What are the shifting demographics in California, how close was the state to lose another seat?

  • Karen Battle – Over the last decade, California has experienced a natural increase in population; had negative net domestic migration
  • Kristin Koslep – California was about six steps down from gaining the next seat

 

Q: Have lost population in Illinois, is it because other states had larger gains?

  • Kristin Koslep – Cannot speculate on that, theoretically could be true

 

Q: Which state saw largest/lowest growth rates in the South?

  • Kristin Koslep – Utah, Idaho, Texas, North Dakota, and Nevada had the largest increases

 

Q: Where is Ohio lagging in population growth? How does it align with the rest of the mid-west?

  • Cook – Data right now is just at the state level
  • Karen Battle – Ohio’s population grew by 2.3%, will be able to be more granular when redistricting data is released

 

Q: COVID-19 effects on the count?

  • Albert Fontenot – Delayed some field operations in order to collect data from areas with high-COVID-19 infections

 

Q: Do we know if the Hispanic population grew in Texas as well?

  • Karen Battle – Are now processing the data on ethnicity, age and sex

 

Q: How does the priority values system work?

  • Kristin Koslep – Calculate priority values based on each state’s population and the potential of the seats they could receive; rank those values
  • Karen Battle – Are different reasons for growth in the south; Texas and Florida are seeing natural increases and a lot of net migration internationally and domestically