Phoenix says its population was undercounted — and the Census Bureau agrees
This year, Phoenix issued a challenge to its population count tabulated by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2020 — and that appeal has been successful, the city said Friday morning.
Last May, the Census Bureau announced that local governments could request a review of group-facility population counts from 2020. In a letter sent to the bureau, Mayor Kate Gallego said the count missed more than 3,500 people who lived in dorms, nursing homes and other group facilities during the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement released by Phoenix, the city said "the Census Bureau acknowledged they likely undercounted group facilities ... throughout Phoenix."
“Counting every person matters, and I am incredibly thankful to the Census Bureau for offering this avenue to address omissions in the 2020 Census,” Gallego said in a statement Friday. “This successful outcome will not only mean that we will be able to receive our fair share in federal funding for the remainder of the decade, but also set us up for success for the 2030 Census. As the fastest-growing big city in the country, that will be critical to our future.”
The new census count is expected to help Phoenix for the next eight years as a higher population count allows the city to recoup state and federal funding.
