How to Pinpoint Stories Using Census Data
The United States Census Bureau conducts the census once every ten years to determine apportionment, dividing the states into the correct number of seats by population; redistricting, to redraw congressional districts based on population shifts; and for community and business benefits.
From the Census Bureau’s official website:
“The results….inform how federal funding is allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grant programs for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.”
Cross referencing census data with other data points can point to some fascinating trends, as a Wall Street Journal analysis found when it found crime largely shifted from urban to rural areas due to increased rates of opioid addiction, poverty, and divorce. Tracking these data points over time showed a “surprising” socioeconomic flip from the mid-late 20th century, in which cities were often demonized.
Examining these trends can start out looking at a lot of data that doesn’t make sense, line up, or else is completely overwhelming to begin with. How can one look at census data and find something worth reporting on?
Here are some valuable tips:
Don’t start with the census data, but once you spot a trend, it will likely support you. You have to start with what you already know and then work backwards. For example, have you noticed changes in your own community? Start there.
Focus on one question at a time. The clearest question that you would really like to answer is the best place to start, and more questions will inevitably rise from there. Pursue one question at a time in order to keep your brain organized while looking at data trends. The census provides data on people’s age, sex, marital status, and household size. The question should be related to one of these. Age can be especially telling-if ages in the area stay relatively the same or tend toward older, with a dearth in younger populations, this could lead to uncovering disparities in wealth.
Let the data lead to people. Census data leads back to change, but most importantly, the humans behind the change. Interviewing how people feel about those trends, supported with census data points, make for a more compelling argument.
Let the data be the guideline for offering compelling solutions. For example, asking questions like, “School averages in my area have fallen while poverty is increasing. Why?” will hypothetically lead to uncovering data points where you find that fewer and fewer people are able to afford transportation, that public transportation is lacking, that internet broadband service is uneven, that power, gas, or electric are afforded at uneven opportunities, and so on.
The sheer volume of census data can be overwhelming. But learning how to spot and cross reference trends in the data is a pathway to endless stories, including stories you may already care about and want to start writing. The census could be the place to start from.
