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This open access book describes the differences in US census coverage, also referred to as "differential undercount", by showing which groups have the highest net undercounts and which groups have the greatest undercount differentials, and discusses why such undercounts occur. In addition to focusing on measuring census coverage for several demographic characteristics, including age, gender, race, Hispanic origin status, and tenure, it also considers several of the main hard-to-count populations, such as immigrants, the homeless, the LBGT community, children in foster care, and the disabled. However, given the dearth of accurate undercount data for these groups, they are covered less comprehensively than those demographic groups for which there is reliable undercount data from the Census Bureau. This book is of interest to demographers, statisticians, survey methodologists, and all those interested in census coverage.

This book covers several dimensions of the undercount of young children in the U.S. Decennial Census, examines the data from the 2010 U.S. Decennial Census in detail and looks at trends in the undercount of children over time. Other aspects included are the geographic distribution of the net undercount and an exploration for some of the potential explanations for the high net undercount of children. The number of young children in the US is growing, but almost one million young children (under age 5) were missed in the 2010 U.S. Decennial Census. The net undercount of young children has been higher than any other age group for the past several decades and is increasing rapidly, but little attention has been paid to the issue but demographers or the public.

This book locates, organizes and summarizes information about the use of child indicators in an advocacy context. It provides a conceptual framework that allows readers to see a wide variety of work as part of a unified field. It provides a description of key concepts and illustrates these concepts by offering many examples from a range of countries and a wide variety of applications. It covers work from governments, non-governmental organization and academics. It describes such aspects as the use of data to educate and increase public awareness, as well as to monitor, set goals and evaluate programs serving children. A growing number of organizations and people are focusing on measuring and monitoring the well-being of children and these child well-being data are often employed in ways that go beyond what is typically considered scholarship. Many of these applications involve some type of advocacy activity. Yet, there is very little in the literature about the use of child indicators in an advocacy context. This book provides a framework for scholars in a variety of disciplines that will help them to structure their thinking about the use of such indicators in a public context.

The U.S. Census Bureau's Demographic Analysis shows that the population aged 0 to 4 experienced a net undercount rate of 4.6 percent in the 2010 Decennial Census. This is more than twice as high as any other age group. Despite the fact that the relatively high net undercount of young children was uncovered more than fifty years ago, this problem has received little systematic attention from demographers. To help fill that gap in the literature, this study examines the accuracy of the count of children in the 2010 Decennial Census. The initial focus on all children shifts to a focus on young children (aged 0 to 4) where the net undercount rate is the highest. Discussion highlights some of the potential explanations for the findings.

The relatively low business ownership rate among blacks nationwide (12.5 per 1,000 people) is even lower in the rural South (8.8 per 1,000). This study uses Census Bureau data to document the level of business ownership among blacks in the rural South and to explore a number of hypotheses regarding the low level of business ownership among rural blacks and the variation from state to state. The size of the black population in the rural areas of a state is negatively correlated with the rural black business ownership rate in the state, while the education level, income level and homeownership level of blacks in rural areas of a state is positively correlated with the rural black business ownership rate. However, it appears that statewide economic conditions may be more closely related to the level of rural black business ownership than are characteristics of rural blacks.