What is the Census?
Every 10 years the U.S. Constitution requires a headcount of every person living in the United States, regardless of age, immigration status, or type of residency. The census population count determines political and legislative representation and how federal funding is distributed to states and cities.
Census counts every person (not citizen) in the United States wherever they live and sleep as of April 1, 2020, regardless of immigration status, income, or the type of housing including people living in prisons, college dorms, shelters, outdoors. Children living in foster care or with grandparents are counted where they live and sleep most of the time.
Census is online, by phone, or in a paper form. This will be the first online census with the website going live in Mid-March. People will also be able to fill out the census by phone or by a paper form they can mail in.
Census counts every person (not citizen) in the United States wherever they live and sleep as of April 1, 2020, regardless of immigration status, income, or the type of housing including people living in prisons, college dorms, shelters, outdoors. Children living in foster care or with grandparents are counted where they live and sleep most of the time.
Census is online, by phone, or in a paper form. This will be the first online census with the website going live in Mid-March. People will also be able to fill out the census by phone or by a paper form they can mail in.
Counting EveryoneParticipating in the census is required by law, even if you recently completed another survey from the Census Bureau. A complete and accurate count is critical for you and your community, because the results of the 2020 Census will affect community funding, congressional representation, and more.
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Important DatesIn mid-March, homes across the country will begin receiving invitations to complete the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail.
1. Awareness/Education Phase (Jan. 14 – March 12): Builds immediate awareness and provides educational information about the 2020 Census. 2. Motivation/Participation Phase (March 13 – May 20): Inspires and motivates the public to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail. 3. Reminder/Non-response Follow Up (May 13 – June 28): Continues to remind people to respond to the 2020 Census and to support census takers as they go door-to-door to count households that have not yet responded. |
Ways To Respond
There are three ways to respond to the 2020 Census:
By APRIL 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding:
By APRIL 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding:
- Online.
- By phone.
- By mail.
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Your Response is COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL!
By federal law, individual responses to the Census are confidential for 72 years and cannot be shared with anyone, including law enforcement, immigration, tax agencies, and even the President of the United States.
What’s the Census for?
The U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 2) mandates a headcount every 10 years, of everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens, and noncitizens. The first census was conducted in 1790 and has been carried out every 10 years since then. The population totals from the 2020 census will determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. States also use the totals to redraw their legislative districts. The U.S. Census Bureau must submit state population totals to the President of the United States by December 31, 2020. The totals also affect funding in your community, and data collected in the census help inform decision makers how your community is changing.
Will there be a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census form?
No, there will not be a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.
Are my answers safe and secure?
The Census Bureau collects data for statistical purposes only. They combine your responses with information from other households or businesses to produce statistics, which never identify your household, any person in your household, or business. Your information is CONFIDENTIAL. They never identify you individually. Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidentiality of all your information and violating this law is a crime with severe penalties. In addition, other federal laws, including the Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act and the Privacy Act reinforce these protections. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both. It is against the law to disclose or publish any of the following information:
• Names
• Addresses, including GPS coordinates
• Social Security numbers
• Telephone numbers
• Names
• Addresses, including GPS coordinates
• Social Security numbers
• Telephone numbers
What if I am away from my residence on April 1, 2020?
People away from their usual residence on Census Day, such as on a vacation or a business trip, visiting, traveling outside the U.S., or working elsewhere without a usual residence there (for example, as a truck driver or traveling salesperson) are counted at the residence where they live and sleep most of the time.
What if I have more than one residence or no residence on April 1, 2020?
People who live at two or more residences (during the week, month, or year), such as people who travel seasonally between residences (for example, snowbirds or children in joint custody) are counted at the residence where they live and sleep most of the time. If usual residence cannot be determined, they are counted at the residence where they are staying on Thursday, April 1, 2020 (Census Day). College students living away from their parental home while attending college in the U.S. (living either on-campus or off-campus) are counted at the on-campus or off-campus residence where they live and sleep most of the time. Those staying in shelter or living outdoors are counted where they are staying on April 1, 2020.
Who Is Required To Respond?
Everyone living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) is required by law to be counted in the 2020 Census.