America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

Exploring Undercount of Young Children in 2020 Census by County

A new analysis of the undercount of young children in the 2020 Census shows variation by county and a relationship between net coverage errors and socioeconomic characteristics like family structure and poverty.

The 2020 Demographic Analysis found that children ages 0 to 4 had a national net coverage error estimate of -5.46% in the 2020 Census ? a larger undercount than any other age group. This means the number of young children counted in the 2020 Census was approximately 1 million lower than the benchmark population estimate.

The undercount of young children is a persistent problem in the decennial census and demographic surveys. Many countries face similar challenges in their censuses and surveys.

The new county-level analysis shows undercounts of young children in counties across the country but a substantial number were clustered along the West Coast, in the South, and in the Southwest, particularly in the border regions of Arizona, California, and Texas.

Continue reading?to learn more about:?

• State and county results
• Our data visualization
• Relationships between net coverage errors and socioeconomic variables
• Disclosure avoidance
• How we're working to improve the count of young children

Related Content

Census Bureau Releases Experimental Estimates of State and County Undercounts and Overcounts of Young Children in the 2020 Census

New experimental estimates show children ages 0 to 4 were undercounted in the 2020 Census in every state. Explore what the numbers show in your state and catch up on our work to improve our methods to accurately count children.

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You May Be Interested In

• Data Visualization: State and County Net Coverage Error Estimates for Children Aged 0 to 4 in the 2020 Census
• Press Kit:?2020 Demographic Analysis Estimates
• Graphic:?Young Children in 2020: State Undercounts
• Graphic:?Young Children in 2020: County Undercounts and Overcounts

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