Looking Ahead: Early Thinking on 2020 Census Plans to Reduce Differential Undercoverage of Young Children

• Activity Number: 7
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 4, 2013 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
• Author(s): Frank Anthony Vitrano*+
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: census ; coverage improvement ; children ; undercount

Abstract

In the United States, the cost per housing unit in 2010 dollars for each of the censuses since 1970 (when the Census Bureau introduced mail-out as a major component of the census) has risen substantially every ten years. Given the economic environment, this just is not sustainable. The Census Bureau has set a goal of conducting the 2020 Census at a cost that, when adjusted for inflation, is lower than the cost per housing unit in the 2010 Census. In the meantime, the 2010 Census had a net undercount that was not statistically significantly different from zero. Unfortunately, as in past censuses, coverage of the population varied by demographic groups. As we look toward 2020, it is reasonable to assume that the population will continue to get harder to measure. This environment sets the stage for the research agenda leading up to the 2020 Census. In this paper, the author will briefly describe early research related to these challenges and identify some early thinking on ways to improve the coverage of young children in the census.