decennial

The census is a constitutionally required decennial count of the population.

Times journalists worked with the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department to access both the decennial Census and the American Community Survey for the most detailed data possible on Census tract level for Los Angeles.

Data from 1980 came from the decennial Census as it had more detailed tables to understand demographic patterns.

One surefire way to improve accuracy is for the Census Bureau to release less data from the decennial census.

Future surveys by U.S. government agencies, including the decennial census, will ask a single question about race and ethnicity and allow respondents to choose as many of the categories as apply, including a new one for those identifying as Middle Eastern or North African.