Proposed 2030 Census Changes Could Put City Planning and Funding at Risk, NLC Warns

The National League of Cities (NLC) warns that proposed changes to the 2030 Census could lead to undercounts that affect city planning, federal funding and representation in Congress. The Census Bureau’s proposals, published in the Federal Register on Sept. 10, would amend two sets of rules for the decennial count.

One proposal would change residency criteria, moving from counting everyone living in a community to counting only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. It also says the bureau could add a question about legal status to the census questionnaire. NLC legislative manager Dante Moreno told Smart Cities Dive that the changes would not benefit the census.

A second proposal would remove questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. The bureau said those questions could expose sensitive information and place an undue burden on respondents who are legally required to answer. Questions about race and ethnicity have been part of the decennial census since 1790.

NLC says university communities could be affected if students on visas are excluded, despite their use of local roads, water systems and public safety services. The organization also raised concerns about using administrative records, including some tax-return information, to fill gaps in census data. Fast-growing communities could be disadvantaged if they lack records needed to verify who lives there.

The bureau also proposes defining the census enumeration period as Jan. 3 through April 1 in census years. Moreno said this could affect northern communities whose seasonal residents spend winters in warmer places, including outside the United States, during that period.

An undercount could make it harder for local officials to understand residents’ needs and plan services, Moreno said. Census data also determines the allocation of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and informs federal spending on programs including Medicaid and Community Development Block Grants.

The public can submit comments on the proposals until Nov. 2.

Sources: Smart Cities Dive.