Proposed Census Rule Changes Local Governments Should Watch

By:

Steve Patterson

October 29, 2026 - (4 min read)

When the 2020 Census counted Athens, Ohio, it found that our community had grown by just 17 people. We knew that number was too low and believed that at least a thousand Athens residents were missed. We are just one of many communities that were undercounted in 2020.

For Athens, this undercount means a decade’s worth of data that doesn’t reflect who we are and a tangible impact on the state and federal funding like Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) that we receive. Since 2020, we have worked hard to understand, and provide for, our entire population, including those that the count missed.

Now, I’m worried that we could be undercounted again in 2030; this time because of changes to the census rules. As NLC’s Immediate Past President I had the opportunity to visit cities, towns and villages across the country, and I am concerned about what these changes would mean for all of them, not just Athens.

In September, the Census Bureau proposed significant changes to how the decennial census is run, changing long-held practices. While there are many changes proposed, there are two that Athens is most concerned about.

Changing Criteria for Where You Live

Since 1790, residents have been counted where they live the majority of the time throughout the year. However, the Bureau proposes to start counting people where they live the majority of time from only Jan. 3 through April 1, 2030. Those of us in cold-weather states know that some of our neighbors winter somewhere warmer but call Athens home the rest of the year. I’m concerned about how this change will impact our overall count, especially for our senior population. If we don’t know who is living in our community, we can’t make sure that there’s reliable public transportation or that their health and social service needs are met.

Changing Who Gets Counted

The Bureau is also proposing to count only American citizens and green card holders for federal apportionment for the first time ever. Athens is a proud college town, and more than a thousand international students live here. We are proud to have these students as part of the Athens community and they deserve to be counted. They use our water system, drive on our roads and take public transit. Leaving them out not only harms them but puts our entire community at risk.

Without an accurate count of all residents who call Athens home, we will not have accurate data for present and future city planning. It could impact the businesses that decide to move to Athens or the decisions made by our university. We will also miss out on state and federal resources meant to support our entire community, not just a segment of it. It would also affect our federal representation and the city’s own redistricting. Inaccurate numbers could leave some city council members representing far more residents than others, which is unfair to both our residents and public servants.

These proposed changes should concern every community, large and small, urban and rural. Your community gets one count per decade, and it shapes the next 10 years of planning, funding and representation. We should all strive to count every resident where they live in 2030.

That’s why I submitted a comment letter to the Census Bureau to share how these proposed changes would impact the City of Athens, and I encourage you to do the same. The deadline to submit a comment letter is Nov. 2, 2026.

NLC has a comment template letter to help you get started. I will also be sharing my concerns with my Members of Congress so they are aware of the impact of these proposed changes.