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You may have heard the news that the U. S. Census Bureau released detailed data in August resulting from the 2020 Census count including population totals for Milwaukee. Census counts have occurred every 10 years since 1790 and the U. S. Constitution mandates that every person living within our country’s borders must be counted. That means the tally must include every adult, child and infant and both citizens and non-citizens alike.
Unfortunately, the Census Bureau’s numbers say Milwaukee’s population decreased from 594,833 in 2010 to 577,222 in 2020 which is about 3%. Despite this news, Milwaukee’s 2020 census story is not over. In fact, I have tasked the City of Milwaukee Department of Administration with disputing these numbers once the Census Bureau begins accepting challenges early next year. Many factors have led me to make this decision. Simply put, the Census Bureau’s numbers are not adding up. Here are the facts.
FACT: The Census Bureau’s data does not even closely correlate with its own population estimates for Milwaukee in July of 2019. To conclude that our population was 590,157 in 2019 and then say it dropped to 577,222 just one year later does not make sense.
FACT: The Census Bureau’s numbers are especially questionable because the city has experienced a large increase in new housing units over the past decade. The City added thousands of new addresses in preparation of the 2020 census through the Census Bureau Local Update of Addresses Program (LUCA). Our city data shows that Milwaukee actually gained 6,242 housing units total from 2010 to 2019 plus 1,145 more in 2020 after the LUCA deadline ended. Our sizeable boost in housing units since the last census took place does not logically correspond with a significant population decline.
FACT: The City has every reason to believe the recorded drop in Milwaukee’s group quarters population from 18,400 in 2010 to 15,680 in 2020 is artificially low due to Census Bureau operational delays attributable to COVID-19. According to various media reports, when the census count ended, the Census Bureau had “no data for almost a fifth” of the nation’s group quarters and made last minute calls to these places to try to fill the gaps. Group quarters include college dormitories, group homes and skilled-nursing facilities.
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FACT: Former President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies and attempts to impose a census citizenship question undoubtedly affected non-citizen participation. Even the Census Bureau describes this population as “hard to count” because they “lack trust in government and the way their data will be used.” The U. S. Supreme Court decision last October to allow the Trump Administration to end the census count two weeks early disenfranchised other historically marginalized populations including Blacks and other people of color, low-income individuals, the elderly and disabled, and LGBTQ+ residents.
Clearly, the City of Milwaukee takes its census numbers seriously. There are two major reasons why. First, census data is used to determine the distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds to cities, counties and states annually – funding for schools, hospitals, housing, job training and other vital programs. According to a study conducted by the George Washington Institute of Public Policy called “Counting for Dollars 2020,” Wisconsin receives $12.6 billion annually based on census data. For each resident that goes uncounted, our community will lose $1,584 in funding every year over the next 10 years. Second, census data is also used to decide the districts of the state legislature and number of seats Wisconsin gets in Congress, and therefore, affects our voice in government.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Milwaukee was undercounted by the Census Bureau. This pattern dates back to the late 1990s and 2000s. For instance, the 2000 census showed that Milwaukee’s population was 5% higher than the Census Bureau’s 1999 estimate of 572,000. The final count came in at 597,102. The City also successfully challenged the Census Bureau’s July 2007 population estimates and our numbers were subsequently adjusted upward by 29,424 people from 573,358 to 602,782.
To sum it up, a fair census is a civil rights issue, and we can’t afford to get our census numbers wrong. As Mayor of Milwaukee, I will take every possible step to ensure an accurate and complete 2020 census count.
Tom Barrett served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 through 2003 and was elected Mayor of Milwaukee in 2004.
