On March 24, the U.S. Census Bureau published its final rule for the Population Estimates Challenge Program. This program provides governmental entities, including counties, with an opportunity to submit requests challenging the Census Bureau’s population estimate of their jurisdiction beginning with the population estimates for 2022, known as the “Vintage 2022” series, that is set to be released in 2023. The program was temporarily suspended in January 2020 and the Census Bureau announced that it would resume the program in November 2022.

The final rule includes several significant amendments to its regulations:

• Revises the evidence required to support a challenge: The types of data submitted for a challenge must be consistent with the criteria, standards and regular processes that the Census bureau uses to generate population estimates.
• Increases communication with local governments: Encourages Federal State Cooperative for Population Estimates (FSCPE) members to coordinate with local governments in the review of pre-release estimates, to the extent possible.
• Updates the rule’s references to data employed by U.S. Census Bureau: Includes additional language that more clearly notes the data that the Census Bureau uses to produce official population estimates

The rule also retains the flexibility for governmental entities, including counties, to submit physical copies of challenge materials as opposed to exclusively accepting digital evidence. The final rule is set to become effective on April 24, 2023.

Counties support accurate and fair census data, which impacts the distribution of funding across numerous federal programs. NACo will continue to monitor updates from the Census Bureau and will keep members apprised of any new developments.

To learn more about the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Challenge Program, click here.