Release Dates Set for Next 2020 Census Data Products and New Reader-Friendly Disclosure Avoidance Briefs

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Release Dates Set for Next 2020 Census Data Products; New Disclosure Avoidance Briefs

March 27, 2023

Updates on Plans for Remaining 2020 Census Data Products

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau announced updates on plans for the remaining 2020 Census data products. In summary:

We will release both the Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC) and the Demographic Profile on May 25.

We are moving the release of the Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A (Detailed DHC-A) from August to September 2023. The additional time allows us to resolve an inconsistency issue with geographies that fall into multiple geographic categories. For example, if left unresolved, the algorithm for the Detailed DHC-A could produce different counts for the District of Columbia when categorized as a state, a county and a place.

We plan to announce schedule information for the Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File B (Detailed DHC-B) and Supplemental Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (S-DHC) in May.

For both the Detailed DHC-A and Detailed DHC-B, we have updated the list of planned available geographies. We now plan to include data for select tables at the tract and place level. Previously, inclusion of those geographies was pending a final determination.

Privacy-Protected Microdata Files (PPMFs) will replace the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) file. Consistent with its name, the former PUMS format included a sample (10%) of individual records from the full census dataset, protected with the 2010-era disclosure avoidance methodology. The PPMFs will include all privacy-protected data from the production run of the DHC, including the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File. It will consist of separate files for people and housing. Microdata file products enable data users to generate custom tabulations for subjects or geographies not included in the published tables. We have released multiple PPMF-format demonstration data products during the development of the new Disclosure Avoidance System.

The Congressional District Summary Files are on schedule for release in August. This product retabulates selected summary levels from the DHC for the 118th Congress and 2022 state legislative districts.

The Noisy Measurement Files (NMFs) for the 2020 Census supporting both the Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File and the Demographic and Housing Characteristics File will be released as a research data product on the same time schedule as the 2020 PPMFs and in the same format as the final production 2010 Demonstration Data Product Suite.

New: Reader-Friendly Disclosure Avoidance Briefs

You asked, we heard. Today, we released three publications in a new series of materials designed to provide concise, reader-friendly information to data users about the new 2020 Census Disclosure Avoidance System. The new briefs are:

More are in development, as well as additional specific guidance and training for using the 2020 Census data. We welcome your feedback at 2020DAS@census.gov.