Census Bureau: 2020 Census Overestimated Ohio’s Population

Ohio is used to having outsized national influence, but the US Census Bureau has gone a bit too far.

Drive the news: The 2020 census reported 11.8 million Ohioans, surpassing the state’s population of about 175,000, according to follow-up survey released last week.

Why is this important: Every 10 years, census data allocates the nation’s 435 congressional seats and helps the federal government distribute funds for infrastructure needs as well as social safety net programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for women, infants and children (WIC) and Meals on Wheels.

What happened: During the count of more than 300 million Americans, some people are accidentally double-counted or incorrectly included, such as those born after April 1, 2020.

• The report notes “numerous challenges, such as conducting fieldwork during the COVID-19 pandemic,” as the probable cause.

Yes, but: This counting error probably didn’t impact Ohio’s seat count in DC for the next decade.

• Despite the overcoverage, we still have lost a seat in the redistricting process — goes from 16 to 15.

Our point of view: Look, it’s understandable that the government wants more Ohioans. We’re pretty awesome.

• Ohio is still expected to get its fair share of congressional seats and federal grants, and that’s what matters most.