The U.S. Census Bureau’s recent release of data from the 2020 census marks an important milestone as Loudoun County moves forward with its local redistricting process.
Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of districts that elect representatives who serve specific geographic areas. This process occurs every 10 years following the United States decennial census. Loudoun County underwent its last local redistricting process in 2011.
The data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on August 12 provides the first look at the most recent demographic characteristics of the nation by state, county and city. Based on the initial data release, the census data indicates that Loudoun County has continued to grow. The county’s total population was 420,959 in 2020, an increase of nearly 110,000 residents, or 35%, since 2010.
This data will allow the county to prepare a detailed analysis, including the population growth in election districts and precincts from 2010 to 2020. County staff can now begin to develop possible local redistricting scenarios, which will be brought to the board for consideration at its October 19, 2021, business meeting.
A public submission period is scheduled to take place in November 2021. Members of the public will have the opportunity to comment on scenarios developed by county staff or use them as a starting point to develop and submit their own plans for consideration. The county will provide an online tool through which individuals can view information and propose local redistricting plans.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to adopt the final plan in May 2022, and the map of updated boundaries is slated to be completed by August 2022.
For more information about local redistricting, and to sign up for project updates, visit loudoun.gov/redistricting.
To learn more about the county’s 2020 census data, visit loudoun.gov/censusdata.
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