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Are anomalies in 2020 US census data comparable to those found in past censuses?

Wednesday, January 13, 2021
By Emily Williams
YES

Small anomalies of the type that have delayed delivery of 2020 census data occur during every decennial census count.

In early December, the Census Bureau reported “expected” anomalies comparable to those arising in prior counts, impacting less than 0.7% of 2020 census data. Government attorneys said in a court hearing on January 11 that results will be available March 6 at the earliest.

The bureau relies on several tools to assess the accuracy of its data, including a demographic analysis based on government records and a separate “post-enumeration” survey of 188,000 households that matches case-by-case results with census findings. It also works with independent experts to gauge data quality. According to Pew Research Center, these efforts have achieved “a generally improving trend of accuracy in recent decades.”

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