A census of governments is taken at 5-year intervals as required by law under Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 161. The 2022 Census, like those taken since 1957, occurs as three components — government organization, public employment, and government finances.

The 2022 Individual State Descriptions report explains the organization of state and local governments. There is a separate summary for each state and the District of Columbia. Summaries are arranged by the U.S. Census Bureau’s classification type, which includes — County, Municipal Township, School District, and Special District governments.