2020 U.S. Census

The 2020 U.S. Census was an opportunity for all Alexandria residents to be counted. The Census aims to include all members of Alexandria’s community, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or place of birth. Census data will be used for the next ten years to make sure Alexandria residents are fairly represented in state and federal government, and that the City receives its fair share of federal and state funding for local programs such as education, health care, or housing.
Page updated on January 14, 2022 at 8:30 AM

Updates

  • Thursday, August 12, 2021 - Recent data released from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the City of Alexandria gained nearly 20,000 new residents, and that it is becoming more diverse. On August 12, the U.S. Census Bureau released the first local-level results from the 2020 U.S. Census. States use the data on voting-age population, race and ethnicity, and housing units to redraw the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts. The data received indicates that the City of Alexandria’s 2020 population was 159,467, an increase of 19,501 residents over the past decade. This increase represents a 13.9% increase in population, compared to an overall state population increase of 7.9%, in the past 10 years. Alexandria’s percentage of growth was comparable to that of neighboring Arlington County. The Hispanic or Latino community’s population grew from 22,524 to 29,372 residents (30%), outpacing Alexandria's overall growth (13.9%). The city’s housing unit count increased by 8,103, with an average household size of 2.11 residents, an increase from the 2010 average household size of 2.06. 
  • Tuesday, January 12, 2021 - City Council Legislative Session
    • City Council received the Final Report from the Alexandria Complete Count Committee summarizing outreach activities and commended the members of the Committee and the Complete Count Partners for their work resulting in a Complete Count for Alexandria.

Alexandria Reaches Complete Count in 2020 U.S. Census

The City was notified by the U.S. Census Bureau that the Alexandria community achieved a complete count in the 2020 U.S. Census! The Bureau’s Crystal City Area Census Office, which includes all of Alexandria, was the only such office in the Washington, D.C. metro region to count 100% of households by the time data collection ended on October 15. Because almost 74% of Alexandria households completed the census questionnaire by mail or online, census workers had to visit fewer households in person. 

“Our entire community should take great pride in knowing that everyone in Alexandria counts,” said Canek Aguirre, chair of the Alexandria Complete Count Committee and member of the Alexandria City Council. “This accomplishment is even more remarkable given the unprecedented challenges faced by residents and census workers this year. We are grateful to the Committee members, City staff, partner agencies, businesses, faith community and non-profits who worked tirelessly to ensure outreach to traditionally undercounted parts of our community.” 

An accurate count is important because census data are used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and allocate more than $675 billion in federal resources to state and local governments. The City uses census data to learn about Alexandria’s population and serve all residents equitably.

What is the Census?

The Decennial Census (Census) is a full count of United States residents, which includes all people who live in the United States. The Census is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau every ten years, and is mandated under Article 1, Section 2 of the US Constitution. After collecting data from households, the Census Bureau processes those data to protect every resident's privacy. It then aggregates the data, and disseminates the results to the President, the states, and the American people. Census data are most prominently used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; distribute over $675 billion federal dollars to state and local governments; redistrict at the federal, state, and local levels; provide statistical support for grant applications; and help communities plan for future needs.

In March 2020, every household in the United States received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. For every 1% of Alexandrians not counted, Alexandria loses $18 million dollars in federal funding over the next ten years. The City of Alexandria uses Census data to learn about our population and serve all residents equitably. Whether you were born in the U.S., moved here 10 years ago, or moved here 10 days ago, you are entitled to your share of representation and resources.

Alexandria's Complete Count Committee

Mission and Composition

On September 11, 2018, City Council approved Resolution 2842 establishing a Complete Count Committee (‘Committee’) to ensure that all City residents participate in the 2020 U.S. Census. On February 12, 2019, City Council approved Resolution 2867 to incorporate minor text edits as well as approve staff recommendations for appointments to the Committee. The 2020 Census is the opportunity to collect the most accurate count of U.S. residents for the next decade. The purpose of the Committee is to encourage all Alexandria residents to participate in the 2020 Census by working with staff to develop and implement an outreach strategy focused especially on communities that have been historically undercounted, namely communities in Arlandria, Alexandria West, Beauregard, and Landmark; families with children under the age of 5; renter households; Black or African American residents; and Hispanic residents. 

Complete Count Committee Workplan

Following the first Complete Count Committee Meeting on March 28, 2019, City staff developed a work plan based on Committee members' discussion. The work plan was a living document used to compile and align Committee activities, and was updated as the Committee continued to build its outreach strategy and programming. 

Meetings and Events

Virtual Census Information Sessions hosted by Alexandria Library
Councilman Canek Aguirre and local leaders participated in a three-part series featuring panel discussions on the 2020 Census and why it is so important for every person in Alexandria to respond. Topics included the Census and Community Services, the Census and Our Schools, and the Census and Local Government Services. Recordings of the discussions are posted to the Alexandria Library website.   

FULL COMMITTEE MEETINGS

SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS

Marketing and Communications Subcommittee

Outreach Subcommittee

Partnerships Subcommittee

Schools Subcommittee

STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Background on the Complete Count Committee

The U.S. Constitution requires the Federal Government to conduct a national census every ten years. To make the 2020 Census as accurate a count of the country's population as possible, the U.S. Census Bureau requested that local governments establish “complete count committees to encourage local residents to participate in the Census.   

The City's official population figures for 1990, 2000, and 2010 were not adjusted by the Federal Government to take into consideration population undercounts. An undercount for 2020 will have three effects for the city. First, Alexandria residents will be underrepresented during reapportionment of U.S. House of Representatives seats. Second, it will mean less money from the Federal Government which distributes certain monetary grants based on Census data (e.g., Head Start funding is allocated based on the number of low-income children in a jurisdiction). Third, an accurate census count allows the City to plan its programs, services and land use with more confidence and accuracy. The ability to plan is further jeopardized because future periodic, between-census American Community Surveys will use the 2020 U.S. Census as a base; if the base is inaccurate the data from future surveys will also be inaccurate.   

The Census Bureau identified hard-to-count tracts based on the share of households that mailed back their census questionnaires in 2010. A tract is considered “hard to count” if fewer than 73 percent of households returned their completed questionnaires. In Alexandria, hard-to-count tracts are located in and around the Alexandria West, Beauregard, Landmark, and Arlandria neighborhoods.   

At a national level, certain demographic groups are more likely to be undercounted. The undercount was highest among minorities with an 2.06% undercount of the nation’s non-Hispanic Black population and a 1.54% of the nation’s Hispanic population. Renters were undercounted by 1.09%, and children under the age of 4 were undercounted by 0.72%. As a result, minorities, renters, and families with children especially should be targets of the 2020 Complete Count Committee's efforts.

Census Ambassador Training

To help make sure all residents are counted, the City encouraged residents to help spread the word about the 2020 Census by becoming Census Ambassadors. The City’s Complete Count Committee provided training to community members wishing to volunteer as Census Ambassadors, helping residents learn what questions to expect on the Census, how the Census will take place, and how the Census benefits Alexandria.

City of Alexandria Joins Supreme Court Brief in Support of Fair 2020 Census

The City of Alexandria is one of 190 cities, counties, and state and local officials around the country represented in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census. The brief, filed on April 1 in support of plaintiffs in the case Department of Commerce v. New York, argues that the addition of a citizenship question will significantly impair the accuracy of the count, which determines the allocation of more than $900 billion of federal funding.

The City of Alexandria further opposed the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census by issuing Resolution No. 2874. In this resolution, the City calls on its congressional representatives to urge members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to oppose the addition of the citizenship question and conduct oversight hearings on the Secretary of Commerce's decision to include it. The City will continue to oppose the addition of the citizenship question going forward. 

Resources and Information

Alexandria Demographics and Statistics

Demographic statistics summarize characteristics of the population in a given place. For individuals, these data represent residents’ characteristics such as age, sex, race, and ethnicity. At the household-level, demographic data include household composition and homeownership characteristics. Demographic data also contain information on student populations and economic activity. Local decision-makers use information on these topics to better serve their residents equitably.

Questions?

Contact Maggie Curran, Department of Planning and Zoning, 703.746.4666.