The United States at 250: How the Country Has Changed in the Past 50 Years
As America turns 250, explore how demographics, work, family and economics have shifted since 1976, based on 50 years of Census data.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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U.S. Census
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U.S. Census
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
