The Challenge of Finding People Before Counting Them

Collecting Census data can be a daunting task. But in some places, like New York City, just finding the people to survey can be most of the challenge.

1 minute read

June 5, 2009, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"[I]n New York City this task is incredibly difficult, and census response rates have chronically lagged behind the national average."

"In addition to its difficult housing landscape, New York City also has in spades just about every group that's statistically least likely to mail back a census questionnaire: young singles, African-American men, hundreds of thousands of public-housing residents, and an evolving mix of immigrants.

"Three million foreign-born people, 600,000 of whom have come since 2000," says Stacey Cumberbatch, New York City's census coordinator.

That 3 million is more than a third of the city's population - people who may not speak English and may never have heard of a census. Since the last count, New York's demographers have been trying to track the constant migration of various ethnic groups in, out and around the city."

Thursday, June 4, 2009 in NPR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of autonomous cargo train moving across bridge across river in wooded area between Texas and Mexico.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor

The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

6 hours ago - FreightWaves

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

7 hours ago - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

June 17 - Mass Transit