Census
The Census is a count of the population in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
The Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2. It happens every 10 years. In 2020, this was the 24th time it was conducted.
The Census is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency.
The latest Census revealed that South Carolina’s population increased by 10.7% between 2010 and 2020.
Each year, the Federal Government distributes approximately $675 billion (yes, billion) to the States.
South Carolina averages $7.1 billion in direct Federal aid to the State budget. That’s approximately $1,468 per person – but we can do better!
Remember that the Census is used to determine distribution of federal resources to each state. Census data is also used to guide decision making for:
- Where schools, libraries, fire stations, and other public services are located
- Allocation of resources for Medicaid, SNAP, the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, Head Start, and Highway Planning and Construction for the State of South Carolina.
- How many seats are allocated to each state in the U.S. House of Representatives. After the 2010 Census, SC gained an additional seat (for a total of seven) to represent our growing population. The state did not, however, grow enough to add yet another seat after the 2020 Census.
- Data collected during the decennial census is mandated to be protected confidentially for 72 years. This means data cannot be used to impact any federal benefits that a person receives.
View Lt. Governor Pamela Evette’s digital press conference takeaways and updates here.
How much do I matter?
We get only one chance every ten years to count each and every community member. If 100 people in your community weren’t counted in 2020, that represented more than $2.6M in federal resources that will be sent to other states instead of South Carolina over the course of the next decade. We want everyone to count – one time – and in the right place!
Content from the United Way Association of South Carolina
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