Monday, August 16, 2021, 3:30 pm News Flash Archive

A large error has been discovered in the official 2020 Census population figure for the town of Carrollton, Mississippi. The census population figures for towns and cities nationwide were released on August 12, 2021 by the Census Bureau.

The official census population reported for Carrollton is 423 persons.

Because this figure is more than twice the population in the 2010 census, The Taxpayers Channel performed an analysis of the raw census block numbers to discover where the error lies.

The official 2010 Census population report put Carrollton's population at 190 persons. Throughout the next 10 years, the "population estimate" based upon that base figure slowly drifted down to 176 persons in the 2019 estimate.

That means that the official 2020 Census figure is more than twice the population in 2010 and throughout the decade that followed.

The Census Bureau collects population data and the number of housing units for each "census block" in the entire nation. In Carrollton, there are 17 Census Blocks that cover the entire incorporated area of the town.

Census Block 4047 is the parcel of land upon which the county courthouse sits. Nobody lives in the courthouse.

But according to the official census count for Block 4047, there were 209 people residing at the courthouse on April 1, 2020.

Significantly, the census data correctly reports that there are zero "housing units" in the same census block. The only building standing in Census Block 4047 is the courthouse, which is not a "housing unit" because nobody lives there.

Deducting the spurious "209 persons" from that block leaves a corrected population of 214 persons for the town of Carrollton.

This revised figure is in line with estimates of local officials as to the true population of the town.

It is not clear how or when the Census Bureau will correct this error. Unfortunately, it also means that Carroll County itself has an incorrect total population which includes this same 209 person error.

The 2020 Census block map of Carrollton may be seen here:
Carrollton MS Block Map (large jpg)
Carrollton MS Block Map (pdf)

The 2020 Census listing of the 17 census blocks in Carrollton may be downloaded here: 2020 Census block data for Carrollton, MS

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

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