2020 Census

Every decade, the federal government conducts a population count of everyone in the United States. The census provides critical data that lawmakers, policy makers, businesses, educational institutions, and others use to provide services and support to communities.

Each year, billions of dollars in federal funding are provided to first responders, hospitals, schools, and others, with funding spent on road improvements, job training, and other resources based on census data. The census data is also used to determine the apportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as state legislative districts.

All information from the U.S. Census Bureau can be accessed from www.census.gov or from their data platform www.data.census.gov.

Additional data links are found below.

American Community Survey Data —

The American Community Survey (ACS) releases new data every year through a variety of tables that can be accessed with different data tools. Data is provided for multiple geographies within the state, such as counties, places, census blocks, and census tracts, and covers topics such as social, economic, housing, and demographic characteristics. The ACS can be accessed from the U.S. Census Bureau’s data platform www.data.census.gov.

Intercensal Population Estimates —

The Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program (PEP) produces estimates of the population for the United States, states, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, counties, and cities/towns. The estimates are based on previous decennial census data and updated using existing data series including births, deaths, Federal tax returns, medicare enrollment, and immigration. Current and vintage tables are available for download.

The Boundary and Annexation Program (BAS)—

The U.S. Census BAS Program is an ongoing survey for collecting and maintaining information about the inventory of the legal boundaries for, and the legal actions affecting the boundaries of counties and equivalent governments, incorporated places, Minor Civil Divisions, Consolidated Cities, Urban Growth Areas, Census Areas of Alaska, Hawaiian Homelands, and federally recognized legal American Indian and Alaska Native areas (including the Alaska Native Regional Corporations). This information provides an accurate identification and depiction of geographic areas for the Census Bureau to use in conducting the decennial and economic censuses and ongoing surveys such as the ACS.

ALABAMA STATE DATA CENTER (ASDC) —

The RPCGB is an affiliate of the Alabama State Center (ASDC), who provides information and data produced by the Census Bureau to state and local governments and other data users within the state.