SHAPE is a pilot designed to identify the practical challenges and test scalable solutions for updating local address data in advance of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) operations for the 2030 Census and associated surveys, such as the American Community Survey.
A critical issue facing McDowell County is the high number of residential structures that are either missing from or improperly listed in the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Census Bureau databases. Many homes lack formal street addresses or house numbers, making them invisible to mail carriers, emergency responders, census canvassers, and data-driven funding efforts. This results in an undercounted population and reduced access to resources, reinforcing cycles of marginalization.
The lessons learned can aid McDowell County’s recovery and planning efforts in the face of natural disasters and serve as a national model for other rural or disaster-impacted communities.
Our Goals
- Build a reliable address database for McDowell County
- Create a model other rural communities can use
- Improve fair representation and federal funding
- Support emergency response and disaster recovery
Capabilities Applied
Our Results
Training materials, lessons learned, and a toolkit with tips and adaptable models for similar efforts elsewhere are anticipated to be available Fall/Winter 2026.
Read more: SHAPE team presents at 2026 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conference