Long Beach to Challenge Census in Only 6 Blocks

Long Beach officials have decided to challenge the 1990 census count in only six blocks of the city, claiming that census takers missed 269 residents. The limited challenge surprised community workers, who had estimated that up to 25,000 residents were overlooked.

City officials say the census count came within 0.3% of their estimates. However, officials acknowledged that Long Beach lacks the computer and record-keeping systems that would enable it to prove whether there was an undercount.

Preliminary data showed population in Long Beach, the state’s fifth-largest city, grew 17% in the last decade to 423,394.