Cities appealing 2020 census count garner only small wins

By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

U.S. cities and towns that have challenged their 2020 census population figures appear to be winning only small victories. The U.S. Census Bureau has resolved and made public a dozen or so municipal appeals. The biggest gain so far has been for tiny Whiteville, Tennessee, which won recognition for an additional 1,958 residents, boosting its official population to 4,564. Nothing can be done to change how congressional seats were divided, nor can new figures change how political districts were redrawn. However, changes can make a difference in how federal funding is distributed. Whiteville’s victory boosted its budget by about 30%, or up to $30,000 a month.