Phoenix successfully challenges the 2020 census

Phoenix, Ariz., officials said Tuesday it is the largest U.S. city to successfully challenge the population count recorded in the 2020 census. The city had submitted a claim to the U.S. Census Bureau that its count should include the 3,550 people in its 192 group quarter facilities, such as jails, group homes, and drug and alcohol treatment centers.

What changes will this bring? Now that the claim is approved, the Bureau told Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego that these extra numbers will be included in population estimates until the next census count in 2030. The new count will not change the number of congressional seats Arizona has or the numbers for drawing political boundaries. These census numbers make Phoenix the fifth-largest U.S. city by population and the fastest-growing city between 2010 and 2020. 

Dig Deeper: Read Lauren Dunn’s report in WORLD Magazine on the continued low enrollment in public schools following the pandemic.