Census Figures in Error by 11 Percent

According to this morning’s Charlottesville Daily Progress

In April, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2004 population estimates, reporting that Charlottesville had lost 3,494 residents since 2000 for a total population of 36,605. This month, though, the bureau accepted the city’s challenge to the figures, agreeing the estimate should have been 40,745.
…
Charlottesville and Albemarle have had this problem before.
In 1999, the bureau estimated the city’s population to be 36,815 people. In 2000, it estimated 40,099. In 2001, it found 45,049. The differences were a result of miscounting UVa students, either incorrectly assigning students living in the county to the city, or not counting them at all.
The 2001 estimate was eventually adjusted to 39,300.

(registration required)

Zoning inspector Ryan Mickles spearheaded The City’s appeal.

The basic issue, of course, is that an incorrect – and low – census figure means that the City of Charlottesville will obtain less federal funding for education and other programs. (As a city resident, I’m sure that none of these funds can be characterized as pork.)

This may be a national, rather than a local, story. Census figures are used to plan education, public health, poverty, and transportation programs.

If the census can’t correctly count University of Virginia students in Charlottesville can it do any better counting students attending:
• James Madison in Harrisonburg
• William and Mary students in Williamsburg, or
• Virginia Tech students in Blacksburg?

If the census figures are incorrect here, are they incorrect all over the nation?

I hope that state and federal officials ask the right questions of the U.S. Census Bureau.

this post linked to Beltway Traffic Jam for 10/21/05