Residents across House District 27 and all of rural North Carolina should pay attention to proposed changes to the 2030 United States Census and participate in the federal public comment process before the November 2 deadline.

The Trump administration has proposed changes that could alter who is counted as a resident for Census purposes and eliminate the collection of race and ethnicity information on the decennial Census. The Census determines the population figures used to draw North Carolina's Congressional and state legislative districts — and how many votes the state has in the Electoral College.

Every 10 years after the Census count is completed, the General Assembly must redraw state House and Senate districts so that state legislators represent, as nearly as possible, equal numbers of inhabitants. The NCGA also redraws the districts of the state’s members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Census also helps inform the distribution of federal resources and the planning of public services.

North Carolina’s population increased by more than 900,000 people between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. That growth helped our state gain a 14th seat in the U.S. House and an additional vote in the Electoral College. That’s why an accurate Census count matters. It not only helps determine who represents us in Washington for the next decade, but also who represents us in Raleigh. Every person counts, and we cannot afford to have North Carolinians, especially those in our rural communities, left out of that count.

An accurate Census isn't a partisan issue. It is about making sure our counties have the information they need and our people have the representation and resources their population deserves. When we make it harder to count people or eliminate information that helps us understand where needs exist, we risk making rural communities less visible in the decisions that affect them.

The consequences of Census data can show up in places people encounter every day — from whether a county has the population data it needs to plan a school or healthcare services, to decisions about roads, housing, emergency services, and other infrastructure.

For folks in Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties, this isn't just about a number on a federal form. It’s about the roads we drive on, the schools our children attend, the law enforcement officers, volunteer firefighters, and EMS personnel who respond when we need them, and whether our communities have the data they need to make the case for investment.

The proposed changes could be particularly significant for the state’s rural counties, many of which are confronting the same hurdles: population decline, limited infrastructure capacity, and workforce shortages.

We cannot afford to become invisible because our communities are smaller or harder to count. If a rural county is already struggling with population loss, we cannot afford to make that problem worse by having an inaccurate picture of who lives there or what their needs are. Our communities need good data to make good decisions.

The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management has also raised concerns about changes to federal demographic data and the potential consequences for smaller communities. House District 27 includes a significant Black population as well as the Haliwa-Saponi and Meherrin tribal nations. The proposed elimination of race and ethnicity questions would make it more difficult for governments and researchers to identify disparities and track changes over time in areas such as health, education, housing, and economic opportunity.

People do not need to be policy experts to explain why accurate Census information matters to their families and communities. If you depend on your local fire department, rely on a rural health department or hospital, send your kids to a public school or a private one that relies on public funds, drive on our local roads, or want to see jobs and investment come to your community, you have a reason to care about how our communities are counted.

Comments can be submitted at this link

I encourage people across our district and rural North Carolina to speak up before the November 2 deadline and tell the federal government why accurate Census data matters to them.

Rodney D. Pierce

Representative, North Carolina House District 27