2020 Decennial Census Data

The United States Census Bureau is releasing data from the 2020 Decennial Census on a rolling basis. Loudoun County’s 2020 population was 420,959. 

Data from its first two data releases is currently available. These include the Redistricting Data Summary, released August 2021, and the Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC), along with Demographic Profiles, released in May 2023.

A third release is scheduled for September 21, 2023: the Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics file (Detailed DHC-A). The Census Bureau will provide detailed data for approximately 300 racial and ethnic groups, as well as about 1,187 American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) tribes and villages nationwide. 

The data provided in the Detailed DHC-A for specific racial and ethnic groups and AIAN tribes and villages within Loudoun County will be tailored to their population size within the county's specific geographic areas. Data for smaller population groups may not be available. This approach allows the Census Bureau to maximize data granularity while maintaining individual respondent confidentiality.

While the Census Bureau is currently finalizing its future release schedule, it consistently updates its product offerings and release calendar, with the most up-to-date information available here. 

Additional links to data from the Detailed DHC-A will be made available on this website the last week of September. Data from the Detailed DHC-A also can be found on the Census Bureau’s website by following the instructions shown below under “Accessing Online Census Bureau Data” starting September 21.

The release of the Redistricting dataset provided counts of population and housing units along with population by major race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.  Analysis of this data is provided below.

The DHC file and Demographic Profiles release provided data such as population by sex and age, the relationships between household members, and whether occupants own or rent their home. Tables showing data cross-tabulated by characteristics such as age and race are included as part of the DHC file, while the Demographic Profiles provide summaries for the county, census tracts and places (towns and unincorporated areas known as “Census Designated Places”).  

The following links provide easy access to the Demographic Profiles for Loudoun County as a whole and for places. 

As with the Redistricting release, the Census Bureau has used the differential privacy approach, which injects random statistical “noise” into the data, to prevent disclosure of personal information. For the DHC, the Census Bureau released metrics (XLS) (such as mean error) to help users understand the variation in the data introduced by using differential privacy. The Census Bureau blog post, What to Expect: Disclosure Avoidance and the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File provides additional guidance to users. 

Accessing Online Census Bureau Data

To easily find Loudoun County 2020 census data on the U.S. Census Bureau's data website, type "2020 Decennial Census Loudoun County, Virginia" in the search box. The Census Bureau offers training videos as well through its Census Academy, including How to Navigate data.census.gov and 2020 Census Redistricting Data and How to Find it on data.census.gov. More information on how to access the Census Bureau's online data can be found here.

Entering "2020 Decennial Census Loudoun County, Virginia" in the search box brings up a list of all the tables released for Loudoun County as a whole, whether they are from the DHC, the Redistricting release (only six tables, repeated in the DHC), or are a Demographic Profile (only one table). To limit search results to only the DHC, the Redistricting release, or the Demographic Profile, use the survey filter at the left to navigate to the release you want. these tables Using the DHC as an example, for Survey select= Decennial Census, then select Demographic and Housing Characteristics). 

The Census Bureau provides more information on how to use data from the May 2023 release in documentation for the DHC file and the Demographic Profiles.

Analysis of Loudoun County Census Data

Additional 2020 Census Data from the U.S. Census Bureau

2020 Census Data Assembled by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission

For the region and its jurisdictions – see data listed under “Decennial Census Data:”

For the region’s towns – see data listed under “Decennial Census Data:”

Highlights from the 2020 Census from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments