The importance of an accurate Census count cannot be overstated as Florida’s portion of the nearly $1.5 trillion distributed annually from the Federal government is apportioned through the data collected by the Census. From arts to education, infrastructure to elder care services and children’s programs, almost every aspect of American life is impacted by the count.
As the third largest state in the country, Florida could lose billions in funding from the federal government due to an inaccurate count. The funding represents 1/3 of the state’s total revenue annually, so the effect would be widespread across all of the programs and services that impact everyday life in our state and it is a gap that philanthropy cannot fill.
The undercount will cost Florida at least $11B in federal funds by the end of the decade, according to Florida Tax Watch. This means Florida has the fewest dollars received relative to the federal taxes its residents pay.
The undercount cost Florida the opportunity to add at least one additional congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, reducing the state’s influence in federal policymaking.
The lack of accurate population data impacts resource allocations for things such as housing, infrastructure, business expansion, market analysis, workforce planning; evacuations, environmental protections, needs assessments, etc.
This work is generously funded by Census Equity Initiative, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Helios Education Foundation, Ventus Charitable Foundation, and the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. Since 2018, Florida Counts has provided over $2M of funding to nonprofits to ensure that all Floridians are represented in the Census and American Community Survey.
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