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Revisions to Tennessee Special Census Procedures Posted

The protocols that Tennessee communities follow to conduct a special census remain in place, but with revisions that clarify the reporting and certification of results.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) released revised procedures for communities that are conducting a special census of their residents. The updates also include additional direction to Development Districts that certify the accuracy of each special census they review.

Tennessee cities and counties are eligible to conduct several special censuses each decade. Participating communities collect the name of each resident living within its corporate limits. That new count is reported in the state’s certified population report and, in instances where the distribution formula includes population, is used in the dispersion of state-shared revenues. In the absence of a special census, 2020 Census totals are used until July 2031 when the next decennial census results are released and become effective.

For a fast-growing area, a completed special census can translate into tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of new revenue that can be directed toward services provided to its growing population. For fiscal year 2024-25, it was estimated that Tennessee municipalities will receive $176 per person from the state.

Overview of changes

This year’s revisions to the procedures don’t include any significant changes to the method used by communities to conduct a special census. The changes are primarily focused on clarifying existing procedures to ensure consistent application by both participating municipalities, counties and certifying agencies.

For All Participating Communities

  • Adds suggested content within the Letter of Intent to aid communities in this initial step.
  • Adds requirements that all letters between communities, certifying agencies and the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research show the date the letter was composed/transmitted.

Annexation Special Census

Citywide/Countywide Special Census

  • Requires the use of the “one-household per row” roster format, eliminating the option to submit a roster formatted as one-row per person.
  • Provides a complete listing of permitted group quarter types that can be enumerated and improves alignment with categories used in the U.S. Census Bureau’s decennial census.
  • Provides formalized guidance for communities who are unable to transfer their special census roster to a certifying agency by the March 1 deadline.

Certifying Agencies

  • Clarifies desk review instructions including examining the roster for the presence of duplicate household records, full names, and that submitted addresses are within city limits.
  • Provides a definition of what constitutes an error during the field check portion of the certification.
  • Instruction for inclusion of desk review results in certification letter.

About the Tennessee Special Census Program

A special census is a process outlined in Tennessee statutes to update the population of a Tennessee county or municipality in the years following the U.S. Census Bureau’s counts collected at the beginning of each decade. Growth in a community, annexation, new municipal incorporation or dispute with the federal counts are common reasons a special census is conducted.

TNECD oversees the state’s special census program. The Boyd Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, operates the day-to-day functions including coordinating with participating municipalities and the certifying agencies.

Communities typically conduct their own special census of residents, but may also choose to contract with the Special Census section at the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct the enumeration. The procedural revisions do not in any way address U.S. Census Bureau special census operations in Tennessee.

Important deadlines for the upcoming year include:

  • January 1, 2025: Deadline to submit a letter of intent to the Boyd Center
  • March 1, 2025: Deadline to submit special census documentation to an approved agency for review and field verification
  • May 15, 2025: Deadline to submit special census documentation to the Boyd Center