State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

The Upcoming Census Has Big Implications for Federal Funds Flowing to States

Route Fifty: The 2020 Census will be crucial in determining how hundreds of billions of federal dollars are divided among states and local areas in the years ahead for programs that help cover costs such as highway construction, food stamps and health care for the elderly and the poor.

Census data provide the bedrock on which formulas are based for distributing certain federal funds. An analysis released on Tuesday underscores the extent to which this is the case.

The research comes as some observers are questioning whether the Trump administration and congressional lawmakers are proposing enough funding for the U.S. Census Bureau to carry out the constitutionally-mandated, national population count, which takes place every 10 years.

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