Conducted every 10 years, the Census is a comprehensive count of the people living in the United States and its territories. This information is used to determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives apportioned to each state, to draw legislative districts, and to direct federal funding each year.
The 2020 Census encountered delays and incomplete data collection due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration’s mismanagement. This analysis lays out the challenges and shortcomings of the 2020 Census, and discusses practices for responsible, science-based use of the challenging Census data for redistricting to ensure fair representation of historically undercounted groups, such as immigrants, low-income communities, and people of color, and to guard against gerrymandering.