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Trump administration cuts number of sites for testing the 2030 census, focusing on the South

The Trump administration reduced 2030 census test sites from six to two, raising concerns about undercounting hard-to-reach communities, experts say.

  • On Monday, the Trump administration cut four of six planned 2030 census test sites, leaving only Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Huntsville, Alabama, with a Commerce Department notice due Tuesday.
  • Funding shortfalls prompted canceled tests and disbanded outside advisory committees, while over the past year the bureau lost experienced staff amid federal workforce cuts.
  • The revised plan removes Spanish and Chinese language versions from the online census test form, now English only, and omits group quarters despite original sites including Fort Apache Reservation, San Carlos Reservation, Qualla Boundary, and rural areas with limited mail or internet service.
  • Experts warned the reduced testing could leave the U.S. Census Bureau 'flying blind' in tribal lands and rural low-connectivity areas, as Mark Mather called limiting tests 'a step backward.'
  • A 2011 Government Accountability Office report found using mail carriers to replace temporary census workers is not cost-effective, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has argued savings, and the bureau said it 'remains committed to conducting the most accurate count in history for the 2030 Census.
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Trump administration cuts number of sites for testing the 2030 census, focusing on the South

The Trump administration is eliminating four out of six planned locations for a 2030 census practice test.

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npr broke the news in Washington, United States on Monday, February 2, 2026.
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