Census Bureau Releases Redistricting Data

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a live-streamed press conference on Thursday, the U.S. Census Bureau released the demographic-level data from last year’s national survey that will be used in the redistricting process. The data includes regional-level information including population amounts for cities, towns and counties, as well as demographics about who lives within each state and where. Race, sex, ethnicity and age data are also included. States will use this information to determine where eligible voters live, how they are distributed across the state and where district lines should be drawn to fairly represent these voters in government in the process known as redistricting. 

The Bureau released the data today in its “legacy format,” a special data format that requires dedicated software to read, in order to help states meet deadlines that are approaching sooner than usual thanks to the data’s months-long delay. In September, the data will be released in a more accessible, user-friendly format. Additionally, the Bureau will release the 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey at the beginning of next year. This survey analyzes possible sources of over- and under-counting in the census results. 

Read the Bureau’s release here.

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