Updates on 2020 Census Programs & ACS Data

Count Question Resolution Program

The Census Bureau began accepting and researching case submissions for the 2020 Census Count Question Resolution Operation (CQR) in January. CQR gives tribal, state, and local officials the opportunity to request the Census Bureau review their official 2020 Census boundaries and/or housing counts by block for potential processing errors.

Any corrections made will not impact the apportionment counts, redistricting data, or any other 2020 Census data products. They would, however, be used in the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates and other future programs that use 2020 Census data. The Census Bureau has provided Participant Guides on their website to assist government units prepare their CQR submission.

Governments that would like to request a review of group quarters population counts would be able to through a separate proposed program, the 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review (2020 PCGQR). Under this proposal, the Census Bureau will accept 2020 PCGQR cases submitted by tribal, state, and local government units from Spring 2022 through Summer 2023.

American Community Survey (ACS)

1-Year Data:

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau changed the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) release schedule. Instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The 2020 ACS 1-year experimental estimates are posted on the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental Data Tables page; they are not available on data.census.gov.

5-Year Data:

On March 17, the U.S. Census Bureau will release the standard, full suite of 2016–2020 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data products—down to the block group level. Following pandemic-related data collection disruptions, the Census Bureau revised its methodology to reduce nonresponse bias in data collected in 2020. After evaluating the effectiveness of this methodology, the Census Bureau determined the resulting data are fit for public release, government and business uses, and understanding the social and economic characteristics of the U.S. population and economy.

Disclosure Avoidance

The Census Bureau is working on the next phase of 2020 Census data product development. The Updated 2020 Census Data Product Planning Crosswalk is available. The Crosswalk compares the 2020 Census proposed 2020 Census Demographic Profile, Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC), and Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (Detailed DHC) tables to the published 2010 Census tables. The Bureau plans two releases of demonstration data for the DHC and Detailed DHC products. With feedback from these releases, they plan to begin production of data products in Summer 2022.