The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration may end counting for the 2020 census on Oct. 15. Lower courts previously ordered the administration to keep counting through Oct. 31.

The deadline for the census count was supposed to be Sept. 30, but a lawsuit may change that. Meanwhile, concerns from public officials, government watchdogs and researchers remain about how accurate this count will be. The count directs billions of federal dollars and determines how representation is apportioned. But it also matters a lot to businesses, nonprofits, local governments and researchers.

Why does a population number matter?Take a place like Sterling in Logan County. Nestled into the northeast corner of Colorado, the small city serves as a鈥�