Carolina Demographics
Keep up with our latest demographic insights
Census Day took place across the United States on Wednesday, April 1st. While it is not the deadline for filling out the Census – that’s currently August 14 – many states do see a bump in Census responses on April 1st – North Carolina included. Of the fifty states and Washington, DC, North Carolina had the twelfth-highest bump in response rates due to Census Day. Gaining 3.2 percentage points from April 1st to April 2nd,…
The coronavirus pandemic has already affected 2020 Census operations in a variety of ways. Earlier this month, the Census Bureau announced that it would delay the start of its field operations – hiring and training workers to go to households – for two weeks, until April 1. This post looks at response rates by type of enumeration area (how the Bureau planned to contact households and invite them to respond to the Census) to understand…
2020 Census counting officially began on January 21 with early data collection in remote Alaska and the first wave of mailings went out in early March. By law, the Census Bureau is required to deliver the count used for apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives by December 31, 2020. That means that no matter what, the count must go on. The Bureau is now adjusting to the challenges of counting all Americans in…
When completing the 2020 Census, respondents are asked to report everyone living in their home on April 1, 2020 – this date is known as “Census Day.” What do we know about how the nation and North Carolina are responding? 2020 response rate lags the response in 2010 According to City University of New York’s (CUNY) Center for Urban Research, response to the 2020 Census lags rates observed in 2010. As of March 31, 2010,…
April 1 is traditionally celebrated as Census Day. But, as we all know, this Census Day is a vastly different than in past decades due to COVID-19. Instead of in-person celebrations around the country, many Census advocates will be giving press conferences today on video conferencing software. To encourage more people to fill out the Census, we've created some Census-themed Zoom backgrounds. Use them! Share them! Send us a picture on Twitter (@ncdemography) or through…
The 2019 county population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau are the last set of population estimate before results of the 2020 Census are released in early 2021. Here’s what they tell us about how counties have changed in North Carolina over the past decade. Growth and Decline Statewide, North Carolina has maintained steady growth since the 2010 Census, but this growth has been uneven across the state: 57 counties have grown since 2010 –…
Last year, I wrote that the census “is kind of like the Super Bowl for demographers, if the Super Bowl only took place once a decade.” Over the past few months, Carolina Demography has been ramping up for the 2020 Census. We worked with the NC Counts Coalition to release a hard-to-count map for North Carolina. In addition, we’ve spoken at events across the state about the importance of the Census, how an undercount could…
More than 4 million Americans may not be represented in the upcoming 2020 census. This is a problem, as the once-every-10-year census affects everything from federal funding to political representation to research projects that rely on accurate census data, like the ones my colleagues and I conduct at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The 2020 census is fraught with uncertainty for a variety of reasons, including a lack of money, a growing…
Across North Carolina, there are many communities impacted by the presence of a college or university. Where will these students be counted in the 2020 Census: at their school address or at their parents’ home? According to the Census Residence Criteria, students are counted at their “usual residence” or where they live and sleep “most of the time.” This means that college students are counted at their college address, either on or off campus. They should only be counted at their parents’ home if they are living and sleeping there most of the time. The Census Bureau provides detailed information on the Residence Criteria governing college students in section C.10.a-f of the census rules.
In February, we partnered with myFutureNC to launch a statewide attainment dashboard to serve as a shared, nonpartisan source of information about the state of education in North Carolina. The dashboard tracks proven indicators along the education continuum, capturing key transition points for students from NC Pre-K enrollment through degree or credential completion and into the labor market. On the dashboard, you’ll find a simple, visual way to learn more about individual indicators, including how…
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