Results of challenges and group quarter reviews by governmental units in Tennessee are posted to this page.

Following the release of decennial census counts, governmental units have a limited period in which they may challenge the published results through the Count Question Resolution Operation (CQR). Two types of challenges are most common:

Boundary

Municipality’s corporate boundaries from January 1, 2020, are not properly reflected in the 2020 Census PL 94-171 Redistricting file published in August 2021

Housing units

Geocoding errors resulting in living quarter being reported in the wrong location – such as being outside a city boundary when they should have been within its limits

No additional population data is collected as part of a census challenge. Communities presenting evidence of “missing” housing units in their challenges are requesting that the U.S. Census Bureau verify that all living quarters which were enumerated have been reported. These occurrences are infrequent, and there is generally no remedy for housing units that were missed by 2020 Census count operations.

For 2020, the Census Bureau’s long-standing challenge program was expanded to include a one-time review of group quarter facilities. It includes those facilities whose usual population counts may have been impacted by facility closures or access limitations instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include dorms, nursing homes and prisons. Successful Post Census Group Quarter Reviews are not published as errata but are incorporated into population estimates.

Tennessee Census Challenge Details

The Census Bureau reports the status of challenges that have been submitted to the CQR program, but details included in the submission packages and final determination letters are not provided publicly. For Tennessee communities where those are available, we provide these materials here.

Tennessee Post Census Group Quarters Reviews

Tennessee communities requesting a group quarters review by the Census Bureau receive a determination letter with information detailing the acceptance or rejection of their materials. While they are not published as official errata, the corrected counts are provided to the population estimates program for incorporation into it and other downstream data products.

Additionally, the revised counts will be accepted by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for inclusion in the annual report of Certified Population of Tennessee Incorporated Municipalities and Counties.