According to this December, 2000 CNN article, 2000 census details will be released in March. Should be interesting. I haven't seen much yet.

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CNN 12/28/00

Census shows more Americans moving South, West

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released the first findings from the 2000 count, showing population growth in the South and West fast outpacing that in the North and Midwest.

The numbers furnished new evidence of a trend that has been under way since the last count -- growth in the South and West spurred in large part by an increase in Hispanics, and a movement of Americans to such economic hotbeds as Atlanta and Las Vegas.

The fastest-growing states will be rewarded with additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The U.S. population is now 281,421,906. The Census Bureau said that was an increase of 33,399,123 people, or 13.2 percent, over the 1990 census.

Every state in the nation increased its population, with West Virginia recording the smallest growth at 0.8 percent over 1990 and Nevada recording the biggest gain, at 66.3 percent. The District of Columbia experienced the only population decline, falling 5.7 percent. (More on state population changes)

California remained the most populated state with 33.8 million people, up 13.8 percent from 1990.

In releasing the numbers, Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt called Census 2000 "the largest civic ceremony in America's history."

The biggest boom was in the lower half of the nation: Arizona's population increased 40 percent; Georgia was up 26.4 percent; Florida's increased 23.5 percent, and the population of Texas went up almost 23 percent.

Congressional winners and losers

The Constitution says seats in the House of Representatives must be reapportioned every 10 years, following the census. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the raw population data from the 2000 count -- the figures released today -- would be used to redraw the House map.

Texas, Arizona, Florida and Georgia were the big winners, each gaining two seats. Nevada, California, Colorado and North Carolina each gained one seat.

On the flip side, New York and Pennsylvania took the biggest hits, losing two seats apiece. Both states had small gains in population since 1990, but it wasn't enough to maintain their congressional representation.

The Midwest took a hit, with Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin each losing one House seat. Connecticut, Mississippi and Oklahoma also lost one seat apiece.

The gains were most significant for Texas, which passed New York to become the second most represented state in the House. Texas now has 32 representatives, while New York's loss drops it to 29. California has the most House seats, with 52.

More data to come

The figures released today are just the first batch of numbers from Census 2000.

In March, the Census Bureau is scheduled to begin releasing data that should provide a more detailed look at the racial makeup of the United States. Census 2000 was the first in which people could check off if they were of more than one race.

Prewitt told reporters at the news conference: "Never have we been so diverse, never have we been so many and never have we been so carefully measured."

More controversial will be figures on county and local populations that will be used to redraw congressional and state legislative districts.

There may be two sets of numbers; the raw figures, and a second set adjusted by statistical sampling to make up for portions of the population that were not counted.

Sampling was introduced after the Census Bureau estimated it missed about 1.4 percent of the population in the 1990 count. Most of those people were children, minorities, inner city residents and poor people.

Democrats and civil rights groups support sampling, saying it provides a better representation of minorities and inner-city residents in the redistricting process. Republicans contend only an actual head count can be accurate, and they point out that rural areas also were undercounted in 1990.

President-elect George W. Bush could opt not to release the adjusted figures, although Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said no decision has been made. McClellan said Bush believes an actual head count is the best and most accurate way to conduct the census.

"The census is a scientific effort. We know that a census number is an estimate. It's not the truth," Prewitt said. "We try to get that estimate as close as we can to the truth," with quality control efforts.

'Megapolitans' struck down

On Wednesday, the White House budget office decided against a proposal to group some cities together into "megapolitan" areas when releasing census information.

The decision means smaller urban areas will keep their separate identities when census results are broken down into metropolitan areas.

The proposal was vigorously opposed by officials in New Jersey, parts of which would have been incorporated into New York City and Philadelphia for census purposes. Some cities that are satellites of Boston also objected to the plan, not wanting to be considered part of that city.

Under the final standards, New Jersey will retain seven metropolitan areas or divisions, while Boston suburbs, including Lowell, Haverhill and Lawrence, will be recognized as distinct metropolitan areas.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Answers

Thanks, Lars. This is a bit more significant than most people realize. The gains mean that, given present trends, the Republicans may not only defy conventional wisdom and maintain their slim majority in 2002, they could even increase it a tad.

Changing the number of representatives also changes the distribution of electors in the electoral college, which should cause anyone to think.

The most significant thing, to me, is Texas taking primacy away from New York State. California is still the Big Dog, but that's another key that'll have to be factored in election planning -- by ALL parties.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Oops, "counts ya say"? accurate as humanely possible? can't have any of that noise....Census Bureau urges against adjusting 2000 count March 1, 2001

Not that any of this really matters for shit anyhow, but there is the latest. Counts? accurate? Republicans? 2funny.

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Most Democrats and civil rights groups insist that not adjusting threatens to disenfranchise an estimated 3 million people missed this time around, primarily minorities, the poor and children. House Democrats have termed it the "civil rights issue of the decade."

Republicans generally counter that the Constitution forbids anything but an "actual enumeration," and that the complex adjustment formulas could inject more errors into the count. Using sampling could "invent" people that don't actually exist, they contend.

"The committee reached this recommndation because it is unable, based on data and other information currently available, to conclude that the adjusted data are more accurate for use in redistricting," Barron said.

Well, well, well... Doesn't THIS sound familiar!?

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001

Rainbow Nation

-- Anonymous, March 10, 2001