Analysis of 2020 Decennial Census
NVRC Regional Data Analysis and Analysis Timeline
Northern Virginia Regional Commission plans to do extensive data analysis of the region. Results of the data analyses will be posted on this NOVA Region Dashboard are currently posted under the People section. A Housing section will soon be added to the dashboard to assess the 2020 Census Results and trends.
NVRC's regional analyses utilizing the results of the 2020 Census Demographic Profile and Demographic and Housing Characteristics released by the U.S. Census Bureau in May 2023 will be occur during the 2nd-half of 2023 and will continue into 2024. Note, the 2020 Decennial Census does not provide characteristics on education and economics.
Census Bureau Nationwide Data Analysis
The Census Bureau is continually publishing 2020 Census analyses through a series of data visualizations, America Counts stories, and videos to help illustrate and explain the Census results and the country's demographic characteristics.
Access Data and Data Release Timeline
The 2020 Decennial Census is being released in multiple phases through multiple products. The Demographic Profile, Demographic and Housing Characteristics, and redistricting data all are injected with random statistical “noise” using the differential privacy approach to prevent disclosure of personal information. Caution should be utilized when using this data. The larger the population size of a geographic area, the more accurate the data and the diminished likelihood of having implausible data with the 2020 Census. The 2020 Census has statistical noise infused to protect confidentiality. The impact of statistical noise decreases with larger geographies. For more information, on the statistic noise injected, privacy, and accuracy, see the information under Privacy and Accuracy of 2020 Census Data.
Demographic Profile and Demographic and Housing Characteristics - Released May 2023
The 2020 Census Demographic Profile and Demographic and Housing Characteristics were released. These files contain 2020 Census data on characteristics of the population (i.e. age, sex race), characteristics of households (i.e. household size, rent/own, families).
Access and view Northern Virginia regional data:
County/City
Incorporated Towns
Redistricting Demographic Data - Released August and September 2021
Redistricting demographic data released to the public. This release contains population, race/ethnicity, age, housing units, and housing tenure data for counties, cities, and geographies as small as census blocks. The second product set will contain more detail demographic and housing characteristics data.
Access and view Northern Virginia regional data:
County/City
Incorporated Towns
-
Not Available
Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics DHC-A - Released September 2023
The Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics file will be released in three phases, with the first one being the Detailed DHC-A scheduled for September 2023. Included in this release will be detailed population counts, sex, and age for approximately 370 racial and ethnic groups and places of origin, such as German, Lebanese, Chinese, and Mexican.
Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics DHC-B - Upcoming Release September 2024
The final Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics files to be released are the Detailed DHC-B and the Supplemental DHC (S-DHC). The Detailed DHC-B will include detailed household type (e.g., family or non-family) and tenure for approximately 370 racial and ethnic groups and places of origin, such as German, Lebanese, Chinese, and Mexican. The Supplemental DHC will include complex relationships between the characteristics about households and the people living in them, including average household size, average household size by age and tenure, and household and family type for people under 18 years old.
Privacy and Accuracy of 2020 Census Data
The Demographic Profile, Demographic and Housing Characteristics, and redistricting data all are injected with random statistical “noise” using the differential privacy approach to prevent disclosure of personal information. For the Demographic and Housing Characteristics, the Census Bureau released statistical error metrics (Excel File) to help users understand the variation in the data introduced by using differential privacy. Additional guidance to users is provided by the U.S. Census Bureau in the blog post, What to Expect: Disclosure Avoidance and the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File.
For decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has used different techniques to protect individual privacy through their Disclosure Avoidance System (DAS). Differential Privacy (DP) is the latest technique. This technique was chosen because enhanced privacy protection is needed due to advances in technology that enable the ability to identify individuals when combined with other information. DP impacts data accuracy more than any other technique previously applied to decennial census results. DP will add random data (“noise”) to counts for geographic areas below the state level, to prevent identification of individuals. The amount of noise added to the data will be greater than any prior decennial census technique. The impact of statistical noise decreases the larger the population size of a geographic area.
From 2019 through 2022, Northern Virginia jurisdictions, through the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), participated in the U.S. Census Bureau’s DP demonstration data review and provided feedback to the U.S. Census Bureau. The following document is a brief overview of DP and the impacts it has on data quality. Click on the image to download. For an in-depth description of DP go to the Census Bureau's DP website.
Download a copy of the
Differential Privacy Fact Sheet
