The 2030 Census is four and a half years away, but the foundation for producing a quality count in communities across Tennessee begins well in advance of census day on April 1, 2030.
Plans for the 25th decennial census of the United States are moving forward. A small-scale run-through at six U.S. sites is set for next spring and will include locations in Alabama, South Carolina and western North Carolina. That 2026 test will give the Census Bureau a chance to try changes and new technologies that are planned for the 2030 decennial count.
Tennessee’s census preparations are also about to get underway. The Bureau’s 2030 Census Operational Plan was released in July and it indicated that state and local governments will again be asked to provide input on maps and data used by the federal agency to enumerate the state’s population.
Broadly, the Bureau’s six major geography update programs are focused on three key geographic data types: reviews of residential addresses, data used for legislative redistricting and updates to boundaries (Table 1).
| Type | Housing Unit Addresses | Redistricting Data | Boundaries and Statistical Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Addresses of residential dwelling units to be enumerated in the census | Products used in state and local legislative district updates in 2031 | Review of municipal/county boundaries and statistical area geography used for tabulations |
| Programs | Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) | Block Boundary Suggestion Program (BBSP) – Phase 1 | Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) |
| New Construction | Voting District Project (VTDP) – Phase 2 | Participant Statistical Area Program (PSAP) |
Planning for Upcoming Geographic Update Programs
The Census Bureau’s six primary geographic update programs involving external reviewers are scheduled to occur over the next four years. The first two programs offered by the Bureau are ones that communities across Tennessee should begin planning for.
Block Boundary Suggestion Project
The Block Boundary Suggestion Project (BBSP) is a chance to preview the census enumeration blocks that will be used for the 2030 Census and to make suggestions for new boundaries that can be used in state and local redistricting. That’s important because communities’ voting precincts and legislative district boundaries are built using whole census blocks. Block boundaries that are not present in the Census Bureau’s redistricting data cannot be used for redistricting.
BBSP reviewers can propose new non-standard features (e.g., power lines, streams, property lines, ridgetops, etc.) for use as census tabulation block boundaries. They can also suggest the removal of non-standard boundaries from the 2020 data that the Census Bureau proposes to retain or to request retention of block boundaries that are proposed to be removed.
The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury is the state’s redistricting liaison and oversees BBSP in the State of Tennessee. They will contact county officials, including planners and election administrators, about participation in the program.
Local Update of Census Addresses
The Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) is a once a decade, pre-census activity, where local officials review the Census Bureau’s Master Address File (MAF) for completeness. Reviewers will have six months to suggest MAF improvements including corrections, new addresses and obsolete addresses which can be removed.
If a housing unit isn’t in the Census Bureau’s Master Address File, its residents will likely not be included in the decennial census counts. Participation in LUCA is the best way to ensure that the Census Bureau address list includes all the housing units in a community.
Other Geography Review Programs
The Bureau’s other programs take place later in the decade or recur annually, offering multiple opportunities for participation. These programs are equally vital in ensuring a comprehensive count of residents and producing accurate data products.
Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)
Annual Bureau program that collects and updates legal boundary information for counties and municipalities, ensuring accurate census data for funding, statistics and redistricting purposes.
Participant Statistical Area Program (PSAP)
In this voluntary Bureau program, local partners are invited to suggest revisions to statistical area boundaries, such as census tracts and block groups, to ensure that they maintain optimal population and housing unit counts for the next decade.
Voting District Project (VTDP)
Tennessee’s redistricting data liaison (the Comptroller) collects voting precinct boundaries from county election officials and submits them to the Bureau ensuring the accurate representation of voting districts in the 2030 Census data products.
The Bureau collects the addresses of housing units that under construction by or after March 1, 2028, ensuring that new homes are contacted in the 2030 Census.
Need Assistance Planning Your Participation in the 2030 Census?
The Tennessee State Data Center is committed to helping communities across the state with their 2030 Census planning, such as geography updates and other aspects of obtaining a complete count of residents. Contact us at (865) 974-6070 or email tnsdc@utk.edu.