Census of Governments

The Census Bureau conducts a Census of Governments of all state and local government organization units every five years, for years ending in two and seven, as required by law under Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 161. The collection of these data will be part of a three-phase effort to document the size, structure, and finances of all state and local governments.

The Census of Governments is the most comprehensive and precise measure of government economic activity. It identifies the scope and nature of the nation’s public sector and provides authoritative benchmark figures of public finance, pensions, and employment. It classifies the complex and diverse state and local government organizations, powers, activities, and measures state and local fiscal relationships.

The Census of Governments is comprised of three components – Organization, Employment and Finance. With the release of each data product, the Census of Governments provides policy analysts, researchers, and the general public with a more complete and clear picture of the public sector. These data products present information to assist in addressing the issues that concern state and local governments and serve as the foundation for developing national economic and public policy. Improvements to the 2022 Census of Governments will increase efficiency, reduce response burden for state and local governments, and provide data products that reflect our ever-changing U.S. economy.

Phase 1, Government Organization, will be underway shortly.

For more information about the Census of Governments, please see the website at Census of Governments.