What is the 2020 Census?

 

The 2020 Census counts every person living in the 50 states. The count is mandated by the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 2, mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years) and is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790.

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Census results help determine how more than $675 billion dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year. The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.

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The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

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For more information about the Census, visit https://2020census.gov/en.

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Complete Count Committees

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Complete Count Committees help increase awareness of the 2020 Census and motivate the public to respond. The committees are established by tribal, state, and local governments and by community leaders and organizations. They can include representatives of businesses, schools, community organizations, and faith-based groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Timeline

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• January 21: The U.S. Census Bureau starts counting the population in remote Alaska. The count officially begins in the rural Alaskan village of Toksook Bay.

• March 12 - 20: Households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail. 

• March 30 - April 1: The Census Bureau will count people who are experiencing homelessness over these three days. As part of this process, the Census Bureau counts people in shelters, at soup kitchens and mobile food vans, on the streets, and at non-sheltered, outdoor locations such as tent encampments.

• April 1: Census Day is observed nationwide. By this date, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When you respond to the census, you'll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020.

• April: Census takers will begin visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers, and others who live among large groups of people. Census takers also begin conducting quality check interviews to help ensure an accurate count.

• May - July: Census takers will begin visiting homes that haven't responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted.

• October 31: The Census ends.

• December: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.

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