Dear friends and colleagues,
Every 10 years a complete count – or census – is taken of every person living in the United States, including you, your family, and everyone in your neighborhood regardless of their age or situation.
Being counted by the Census is a basic civic obligation. It will determine the funding your community will get for schools, daycare facilities, roads, hospitals, etc.
It will determine whether businesses decide to open in your neighborhood, and how infrastructure is planned.
It will determine the representation your community gets on City Council, in the State Legislature, and in Congress.
Children under the age of 5 tend to be undercounted and, historically, low-income people, people of color, and renters have been less likely to respond to the Census. Ironically, these populations are often most affected if their numbers are undercounted.
Using response data from the 2010 Census in combination with current demographic data, the Census Bureau has determined which communities are more likely to be “Hard-to-Count” in 2020. The Data Center has used this data to create interactive maps to help guide efforts ensuring everyone is counted.
Be sure to check out our new Hard-to-Count interactive maps of parishes across Louisiana. We’ve covered 34 parishes throughout the state’s 9 metro areas, including the New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas. Click on an area to zoom in and see assets, such as libraries and churches in each census tract:
Good data and research about our Louisiana communities depends on an accurate Census count. Let’s make sure everyone is counted.
Bringing you the data you need to make informed decisions,
The Data Center Team
Dabne Whitemore, Jenna Losh, Don J Asay, Robby Habans, Lamar Gardere, Cody Brumfield, Amy Teller, Rachel Weinstein, Arthur Rymer, Katrina Andry, Erica Amrine, and Allison Plyer
