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The 2020 Census is Coming!
Residents will see address canvassers with Census badges, laptops and bags walking through neighborhoods over the next two months.
Starting in August, tens of thousands of Census Bureau workers are knocking on doors across the country to make sure the bureau has a complete list of addresses of where people live in the U.S.
Those addresses determine where the bureau will mail instructions and send the next major deployment of workers in 2020 for the constitutionally mandated head count of every resident, which is conducted by household.
By April 1, 2020, all households will receive an invitation to participate in the census. Residents will have three ways to respond: online, by phone or by mail.
For a detailed timeline of 2020 census activities per the Census Bureau below:
Census 101:
Here’s a quick refresher of what it is and why it’s essential that everyone is counted.
Everyone Counts
The census counts every person living in the U.S. once, only once, and in the right place.
It’s about fair representation.
Every 10 years, the results of the census are used to reapportion the House of Representatives, determining how many seats each state gets.
It’s in the constitution.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that everyone in the country be counted every 10 years. The first census was in 1790.
It’s about $675 billion.
The distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds, grants and support to states, counties and communities are based on census data. That money is spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs.
It’s about redistricting.
After each decade’s census, state officials redraw the boundaries of the congressional and state legislative districts in their states to account for population shifts.
Taking part is your civic duty.
Completing the census is mandatory: it’s a way to participate in our democracy and say “I COUNT!”
Census data are being used all around you.
RESIDENTS use the census to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life and consumer advocacy.
BUSINESSES use census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores, which create jobs.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness.
REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS use the census to build new homes and revitalize old neighborhoods.
Your privacy is protected.
It’s against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. By law, your responses cannot be used against you and can only be used to produce statistics.
2020 will be easier than ever.
In 2020, you will be able to respond to the census online.
PREVIEW THE CENSUS QUESTIONS
The 2020 Census does not include questions about citizenship, immigration status, income, or education, and you will not be asked for your Social Security Number. In fact, Census questions can be previewed now.
This information was provided by the Heart of West Michigan United Way Census Hub and the United States Census Bureau.