Counting Race: How the Census Measures Identity and What Americans Think About It
How the U.S. government measures race has changed substantially since censuses began in 1790. Today, Americans differ on whether the government should ask about race.
U.S. Census
All
U.S. Census
Publications
-
-
The changing categories the U.S. census has used to measure race
Racial categories, which have been on every U.S. census, have changed from decade to decade, reflecting the politics and science of the times.
-
How a coding error provided a rare glimpse into Latino identity among Brazilians in the U.S.
An error in how the Census Bureau processed data from a national survey provided a rare window into how Brazilians living in the U.S. view their identity.
-
Why the U.S. census doesn’t ask Americans about their religion
The Census Bureau has collected data on Americans’ income, race, ethnicity, housing and other things, but it has never directly asked about their religion.
-
Government considering changes ahead of 2030 census – including no more forms for most Americans
The bureau is considering counting most Americans using Social Security data, IRS files and other administrative records.
-
Key facts about the quality of the 2020 census
The national total in the 2020 census was largely accurate, but the Census Bureau has estimated miscounts for some states and demographic groups.
-
U.S. Hispanic population continued its geographic spread in the 2010s
The U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.1 million in 2020, an increase of 23% over the previous decade.
-
Hispanic Population Growth and Dispersion Across U.S. Counties, 1980-2020
By 2020, the Hispanic population had reached 62.1 million out of a total U.S. population of 331.4 million.
-
U.S. household growth over last decade was the lowest ever recorded
The 2020 census counted 126.8 million occupied households, representing 9% growth over the 116.7 million households counted in the 2010 census.
-
Black and Hispanic Americans See Their Origins as Central to Who They Are, Less So for White Adults
About half of Americans see their identity reflected very well in the census’s race and ethnicity questions.
