Census 2030

Proposed Changes to the 2030 Census: What You Need to Know

The U.S. Census Bureau is proposing changes to how decennial census data are collected. The proposed changes to the 2030 Census would affect who is counted, where people are counted, and whether demographic information on race and ethnicity is collected, as well as other changes.

Why It Matters

Census data help inform congressional representation, federal funding, public services, infrastructure planning, emergency preparedness, research and community development. Changes to Census methodology could affect the accuracy and availability of population and demographic data used by governments and communities.

Key Proposed Changes

The proposal would exclude some residents from the census, including international students, work visa holders such as H-1B visa holders, refugees, and asylees who are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents (green card holders). This change raises a constitutional concern because the 14th Amendment bases apportionment on a count of all persons in each state. Census Bureau research also shows that the addition of a question about citizenship would reduce response rates in some households. An incomplete count could affect political representation and decisions about funding, schools, health care, public safety, and emergency response.
The proposed residence rules could cause some people to be counted in the wrong place. The census has historically counted people at their “usual residence,” generally the place where they live and sleep most of the time. Federal law sets April 1 as the decennial census date, but the proposal would use the period from January 3 to April 1 to determine usual residence. As a result, people with homes in multiple states could be counted where they spend the winter. For example, “snowbirds” might be counted in a southern state even though their usual residence is in Minnesota. People who move during the period could also be unsure which address to report.
The proposal would use tax records as evidence of a person’s usual residence, but those records may not reliably show where someone lives. Tax forms often list a mailing address that differs from a person’s home address. For example, rural residents may use a post office box, students may use a parent’s address, and military members’ W-2 forms may list a duty station. People who are not required to file an income tax return may also lack a filed return that could help verify their residence. A 2024 Minnesota Tax Incidence Study classified 308,730 households, or 10.5% of Minnesota households, as nonfilers in 2021. That figure counts households that filed no income tax return; it does not show how many were not required to file. The proposal does not explain how officials would resolve conflicting addresses, determine residence for people without tax records, or avoid assigning people to addresses such as an accountant’s office.
The U.S. would no longer have data on race and ethnicity. The proposal would prohibit these questions on the census questionnaire. Because census counts are used to weight other surveys, removing the questions could make reliable race and ethnicity data harder to produce. Race data from the census and related surveys are used to study public health, measure discrimination, support market research, and plan workforce programs.
The rulemaking process is moving too quickly. The proposal allows only 33 days for public comment, and requests for required regulatory meetings were ignored. Major changes to the census should receive careful review before they are adopted.

This material is based on “Why Seemingly Arcane Process Changes to the Decennial Census Would be Catastrophic for All Americans” by Meeta Anand, Beth Jarosz, and Chris Dick, first published on dataindex.us on September 15, 2026. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; this republished version is shared under the same license.

What This Could Mean for Minnesota

Reliable Census data are important for understanding Minnesota's communities and informing decisions about services, infrastructure, emergency preparedness and resource allocation.

Submit Public Comment

The changes are proposed but not yet final. The federal rulemaking process includes a period of review and public comment.

Public Comment Deadline: October 13, 2026

Comments must be received by the deadline to ensure they are considered during the decision making process.

Submit Electronic Comment Here

The Census Bureau also accepts written comments by mail at:

U.S. Census Bureau
             4600 Silver Hill Road
             Designation: ADDEMO/FRN
             Washington, DC 20746

What Can You Comment On?
Comment Guide
Comment Template
Resources

What Can You Comment On?

Comments can address any aspect of the proposed rule. Consider providing specific information about how the proposed changes could affect:
- Who is counted in the decennial Census
- Where people are counted and how usual residence is determined
- Use of tax and administrative records to establish residence
- Collection of race and ethnicity information
- Availability and quality of demographic data
- Congressional apportionment and redistricting
- Federal, state, and local planning
- Public services and resource allocation
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Research, statistical analysis, and community planning
Comment Guide

Write a Comment that Counts!
1. Use your own words: Agencies may group identical form letters and treat them as a single comment. A personal comment stands on its own.
2. Say who you are: Resident, parent, planner, researcher business owner, organizer. Then state how you use census data or how it affects your community.
3. Point to specific parts of the rule: The residence criteria, the January 3 to April 1 enumeration period, the tax-records test, the ban on race and ethnicity questions, or voluntary responses.
4. Describe real consequences: What happens to your schools, district, funding, research, or business if the count is wrong?
5. Cite the docket: Docket No. 260903-0005, Document 2026-18481. On Regulations.gov it's listed as docket USBC-2026-0628.
6. Remember it's public: Comments become part of the public record. Leave out personal details you don't want posted.
Comment Template

Here's a template that you can customize with your own information, but remember, it must be customized or it could be counted as one comment.

Customization includes:
- Who you are
- How you use census data
- What concerns you and why
- What you're asking for
TEMPLATE

[Note: Comments may be submitted anonymously]
To the U.S. Census Bureau:

I am writing to comment on the proposed rule "Decennial Census of the Population of Americans; Proposed Residence Criteria and Proposed Regulations for Demographic Questions" (Docket No. 260903-0005, Document 2006-18481, published September 10, 2026).

I am [add a description of who you are, such as your profession and/or state where you live], and I care about a fair and accurate census because [add a brief description of why you care].

First, I ask the Census Bureau to extend the comment period until December 10, 2026. Significant regulatory actions such as this one deserve more time for the public to review and respond.

Second, I oppose both part 60 and part 70. I urge the Census Bureau to withdraw the proposed rule and return with substantial revisions, including: [keep any/all points you would like to include in your comment].
- Abandon any criteria that would exclude U.S. residents, including visa-holders, refugees, asylum seekers, and others from the apportionment count. The purpose of the census is to count all people.
- Reestablish guidelines for detailed residence situations that encompass the varied living arrangements present in the United States such as for people who have recently moved, people in temporary shelters, and children in foster care.
- Return to activity-based criteria for residence, such as where someone usually lives and sleeps, rather than confusing "one hour" rule.
- Eliminate or substantially revise guidelines for the "enumeration period" so that people (including seasonal workers and recent movers) are counted in the right place on Census Day and so that people (such as children in foster care and people in emergency shelters) are not accidentally excluded from the count.
- Count incarcerated people at their home rather than their facility. The current proposal shifts population toward the districts where prisons are built and away from communities where people live.
- Revise the language on tax records. The text, "A person's 'usual residence', should be consistent with, and evidenced by, their tax records (e.g., tax returns, W-2 forms" ignores the limitations of tax records. For example, tax records reflect mailing address (such as post office box, business address, or tax preparer's address) rather than residential address and thus are inconsistent with residence for many tax payers, including for many military personnel and their families. Extreme reliance on tax records also risks missing many dependent children in the count.
- Drop the ban on demographic questions. The U.S. has asked about race in every census since our first in 1790. Information on race and ethnicity is critical for public health and civil rights enforcement and should not be banned. Similarly, sexual orientation, while not currently asked in the census, should not be barred from future censuses. The rule would bar the collection of sexual orientation data on future censuses and could restrict the collection or publication of decennial census data on same-sex couples.
As written, the proposed rule would exclude residents, result in an inaccurate count, and prohibit collection of important data on the characteristics of our population. Such outcomes are unacceptable and would harm all Americans.
Resources
- Federal Register Proposed Regulations for the Decennial Census