The U.S. Census Bureau has released a proposed rule that would change key aspects of the decennial census: who is counted, where they are counted, and what questions are asked. These changes could affect Georgia communities’ political representation, funding, and the accuracy of data used for emergency management, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, education, and other planning decisions.
Public comments on the proposed changes are due October 13, 2026. Consider submitting a letter to the Census Bureau describing how these updates may affect your community’s population count, funding, or representation. The National League of Cities (NLC) offers a template letter to help you get started or submit directly from there. You can also share your concerns with your Member of Congress to build awareness of how these changes would impact your community.
Overview
On September 10, 2026, the Census Bureau proposed changes to the 2030 Census and all future decennial censuses, including:
- Changes to the data collected could also affect federal and state funding formulas that rely on census data. This shift may affect state and federal funding tied to population data.
- Considering the addition of a legal‑status (citizenship) question.
- Changing how the census defines a person’s “usual residence.”
- Expanding the use of administrative data, which may increase inaccuracies.
- Eliminating questions on race and ethnicity, prohibiting questions on sexual orientation, and making most other demographic questions optional.
More on What’s Changing
Who Counts and Where
Traditionally, the census counts everyone living in the U.S., as required by the Constitution’s directive to count the “whole number of persons in each State.” The proposed rule would limit the apportionment count to citizens and lawful permanent residents, excluding students and workers on visas, refugees, and undocumented immigrants. This change may also require adding a legal‑status question to the census form.
The rule would also redefine where people are counted. Instead of using “usual residence,” the census would count individuals based on where they lawfully spent the most days during a new “census enumeration period” from Jan. 3 to April 1 of the census year, supported by tax records. This could affect municipalities with seasonal residents, such as winter “snowbirds,” who primarily live in the community but may be away during that period.
Additionally, the Bureau proposes greater reliance on tax, immigration, health, postal, and other administrative records to determine residency. This could reduce accuracy for communities with fast‑growing or highly mobile populations — such as students, part‑time workers, and children — whose records may be incomplete or outdated.
What Gets Asked and How
The proposed rule would bar the decennial census from asking about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Race has been collected since 1790, and Hispanic origin for decades, and are critical for long‑term analyses and many local data needs. The decennial census does not currently ask about sexual orientation.
Only three categories — sex, date of birth, and household relationships — would remain mandatory because they help verify who lives where. All other demographic questions would be expressly voluntary. This marks a major shift for the census and could limit the data available to municipalities, especially smaller or rural communities that rely heavily on census information for planning and funding decisions.