Phoenix has become the largest U.S. city to successfully challenge its population count from the 2020 census. City officials claimed that group homes, jails and drug treatment centers were overlooked during the nation’s head count.
The U.S. Census Bureau told Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego last week it had approved its submission claiming more than 3,550 people in almost 200 group facilities were missed during the once-a-decade census.
The census determines political representation and how $1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed. The additional figures will be included in future population estimates released each year until the next census in 2030.
The census determined that Phoenix was the fastest-growing big city in the U.S. between 2010 and 2020, increasing by 11.2% to 1.6 million residents and making it the fifth most populous U.S. city.
The successful challenge by Phoenix won't change how many congressional seats Arizona got during the apportionment process, or the more detailed numbers used for redrawing political boundaries.
The Census Bureau has received more than 100 submissions challenging the numbers from cities, towns and villages of all sizes across the U.S., including Austin, Texas; Boston; Detroit; Memphis, Tennessee; and Milwaukee. State, tribal and local governments have until the end of June to file challenges.