Population Estimates Program: Resources for Cities & Towns
With support from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin, the UMass Donahue Institute’s Population Estimates Program provides technical support to Massachusetts cities and towns in reviewing and correcting U.S. Census counts for their communities Following the 2020 Census count, the U.S. Census Bureau has provided local governments the opportunity to request a review of both potential tabulation errors in their housing unit counts and potential undercounts of group quarters populations.
Specifically, the Count Question Resolution (CQR) allows cities and towns to request a review of boundaries and/or housing unit counts that may have been incorrectly processed during the 2020 census. Additionally, the Post-Census Group Quarters Review (PCGQR) offers municipalities the opportunity to request a review and correction of the population counts in group quarters facilities -- including correctional facilities, nursing homes, shelters, dormitories, and others -- that may have been missed or undercounted in the 2020 Census. The deadline for submitting cases to the Census Bureau for both review programs is June 30, 2023.
To assist local governments in determining whether they may have a potential case for correction, UMDI has assembled review dashboards for each challenge program. Local governments may use these tools as starting points to determine whether housing units or group quarters populations in a Census block may have been undercounted. Each dashboard compares Census 2020 values to UMDI estimates based on multiple state and local sources. Note that all apparent undercounts shown on the dashboards will require additional research, as the aggregate sources used by UMDI may include duplicated units or high estimates.
Please contact the Population Estimates Program at UMDI if you require technical assistance in reviewing or challenging your Census count. To see additional Census data for your town see: Census 2020 Data for Massachusetts
Interactive Dashboard 1
UMDI Census 2020 Count Question Resolution Analysis Tool
Interactive Dashboard 2
UMDI Census 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review Analysis Tool
Interactive Dashboard 1
UMDI Census 2020 Count Question Resolution Analysis Tool
This dashboard has been assembled by the Population Estimates Program at the UMass Donahue Institute to assist cities and towns with the 2020 Census Count Question Resolution program (CQR).
The CQR gives tribal, state and local governmental units the opportunity to request that the Census Bureau review their boundaries and/or housing counts to identify errors that may have occurred while processing their 2020 Census counts.
Please note that this interactive geodatabase is only intended for initial CQR case review purposes. The map is intended to highlight discrepancies between the Census PL94-171 housing unit counts and the UMDI internal housing unit database, but further housing unit verification is required in order to formally pursue cases with the Census Bureau.
As background, UMDI assembled components of its own statewide housing unit inventory for various Census 2020 preparation projects. Because the UMDI address database is dependent upon the quality of the address sources used, there are instances of duplicate records, units that do not exist, or units that are not residential. For these reasons, UMDI suggests a more detailed, address by address review of blocks that appear to have unit count discrepancies.
If you believe your town has a case for correction, please contact Susan Strate at the UMass Donahue for technical assistance: sstrate@donahue.umass.edu
For program information on the Census 2020 Count Question Resolution, see the U.S. Census Bureau’s CQR program page.
Interactive Dashboard 2
UMDI Census 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review Analysis Tool
This dashboard has been assembled by the Population Estimates Program at the UMass Donahue Institute to assist cities and towns with the 2020 Post-Census Group Quarters Review program.
The Post-Census Group Quarters Review (PCGQR) is a one-time operation for governmental units in the United States and Puerto Rico to request that the U.S. Census Bureau review the population counts of group quarters they believe were not correctly counted as of April 1, 2020.
Please note that this interactive geodatabase is only intended for initial PCGQR case review purposes. The map is intended to highlight discrepancies between the Census PL94-171 group quarters counts and the UMDI internal group quarters database, but further count verification is required from facilities administrators or other administrative sources in order to formally pursue a case with the Census Bureau.
The UMDI Group Quarters review database consists of the addresses, geolocations, facility names, and population estimates of each GQ facility on April 1, 2020. The majority of the GQ records (types 1, 3, and 5) and related information in the database were from UMDI’s Block Estimates GQ database, which was developed to estimate block populations on Census day, prior to enumeration.
UMDI population counts for GQ1 Correctional Facilities are from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections weekly inmate reports. Population counts for GQ3 Nursing Homes are from the Medicare.gov Nursing Home database and represent average daily counts that may be less than or greater than the actual Census day count. Population counts for GQ5 Student Dormitories are based on numerous inputs and sometimes represent estimates only, based on student enrollment and building capacities.
If you believe your town has a case for correction, please contact Susan Strate at the UMass Donahue for technical assistance: sstrate@donahue.umass.edu
For program information on the Post-Census Group Quarters Review, see the U.S. Census Bureau’s PCGQR program page.
For additional information about the dashboards found on this webpage, contact Chris Diaz.
