News & Updates
Working With Census Data Today
Many of us look to “Census data” to better understand the circumstances of households and communities in Hawai‘i. In his work to provide research and analysis support to local organizations, Kendrick Leong, Hawai‘i Data Collaborative’s Research & Data Analysis Lead, often helps teams reference several different Census products depending upon their specific need. Following the onset of the pandemic, Kendrick has also helped organizations understand and navigate the limitations of Census data for understanding circumstances today. In this post, Kendrick distinguishes some of the more popular Census data products, runs through what you need to know to work with them, and lays out some important limitations of using Census data today.
Census 2020? Check one: ☐Yes ☐No
Every ten years during the Census, a large percentage of the United States’ population does not respond to the Census. Despite this, the Census Bureau must count all individuals, whether or not they respond. Studies have shown that lower self-response rates are correlated with less accurate results, and the accuracy of the Census is not the same for all groups. Early identification of these individuals is important to focus efforts during the Census, but Census 2020 has been especially challenging given recent events. Many communities in Hawaii responded at a rate lower than what one might expect in a “normal” census year, meaning that this census will have missed some of the more marginalized in our communities. When a group of individuals is not represented in the Census, they are not represented in our system of government. The communities in which they live do not receive needed funding for important social support programs, and the very existence of these individuals may not even be known. All of this results in the marginalization of individuals who are already living on the margins.
Census 2020 +/- 2: Census, Differential Privacy, and the Future of Data
With the development of new statistical techniques, computing technology, and increasing availability of data, data accuracy presents a new challenge—privacy—that is in direct opposition with the goals of accuracy. Throughout its history, the Census Bureau (or those authorized to carry out its mandate) has essayed to collect and report accurate data; meanwhile the call to protect the privacy of respondents has grown. The opposing goals of accuracy and privacy have led the Census toward a new disclosure avoidance method—differential privacy—that aims to protect privacy and provide reasonably accurate data to users. This change signals a new phase of disclosure avoidance and data reporting at the U.S. Census Bureau. Indeed, this may be the beginning of a new world of privatized data in general.
COVID-19 Adds to Hawaii’s Existing Challenges in Achieving Accurate 2020 Census Counts
These days, it’s easy to forget that anything is happening in the world aside from the coronavirus and its impacts. But critical government activities continue to move forward, some of which will affect Hawaii and local communities for years to come. One of these activities is the 2020 US Census. As we have described previously, its results will profoundly shape Hawaii’s future federal funding streams and congressional representation. Furthermore, census data underpins key decisions throughout all sectors of the state. COVID-19 is adding to Hawaii’s existing challenges in achieving accurate census counts.