The U.S. Census Bureau released the 2026 Annual Government Organization counts on Sept. 24, 2026, offering new data on the number and types of state and local governments across the United States.
The release includes three tables: Government Units by State, Local Governments by Type and State, and Special District Governments by Function and State. The Census Bureau also released the Annual Government Organization Public Use File, a comprehensive and detailed listing of local government units.
That file also provides detailed information on dependent school systems and public pension systems, according to the Census Bureau.
The Census of Governments, which includes the Government Organization counts, collects state and local government data every five years in years ending in 2 and 7. The organization component of the Census of Governments provides the official count of active U.S. governments.
The Census Bureau said it serves as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy, and that policy-makers, businesses and the public use its data to make informed decisions.