As the results of the 2020 census percolate through state and local governments over the coming months, two major areas will become the focus: political redistricting and recalculating federal funding formulas for local governments. South Carolina grew by almost 11% — from 4.6 million in 2010 to a little more than 5.1 million in 2020 — and Greenville County’s population jumped by 16% — from 451,225 to 525,534 — according to the updated figures.
More people, more money
The population growth has already had a direct impact on local government funding, according to Greenville County spokesman Bob Mihalic.
He said the county received more than $91 million in Federal Cares Act funding because the county’s population had grown to more than 500,000. He added that census data led directly to the county receiving critical funding to help residents during the pandemic throughout the past year.
UofSC economics professor Bob Oldendick said census data drives formulas that govern a great deal of federal funding that flows to state and local governments. This is one reason leaders spend so much effort encouraging residents to take part in the census, he said.
Funding for government services like police and fire protection, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, and housing subsidies for low-income residents are calculated in part using census numbers, said Oldendick. In some ways it comes down to simple arithmetic.
“Those areas that gain population are going to get more funding,” Oldendick said.
Census numbers also drive funding for other federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and free and reduced lunch programs at Title I public schools.
Calculating needs
Mihalic said the census informs other policy decisions.
For example, he said, the distribution of new residents may help county planners decide where to locate convenience centers for trash and recycling collection and whether more such centers are needed.
He added the data also influences the county’s Comprehensive Plan and strategies for accommodating growth.
But the growth reflected in the new census numbers has not come as a surprise for anyone who’s been watching the Greenville area over the past decade.
“We have grown quickly and dramatically, and the numbers confirm that,” he said. “Seeing the numbers you have a little bit of a ‘wow’ moment.”
New lines, more House seats
Redistricting efforts are already underway as state House and Senate districts lines are certain to shift. The state Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on redistricting already conducted statewide public hearings to gather input from voters earlier this summer. The S.C. House of Representatives subcommittee charged with developing redistricting plans will begin its public hearings in September.
According to documents posted on the House Judiciary Committee’s redistricting website, the target population in revised House districts will be 41,278 residents. In meetings earlier this summer, the Senate Judiciary Committee estimated revised senate districts would have a population of between 105,000 and 116,000 residents.
With Greenville County’s growth of 16.5% over the past decade, 74,309 new residents are likely to translate in to at least one new House seat, according to Rep. Jason Elliot (R) – Greenville. He said whether a new House district is created solely in Greenville County is yet to be decided.
