All information is provided by the US Census Bureau.
*2020 Census field operations will be suspended for two weeks until April 1, 2020.*
Are my responses confidential?
The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential. In fact, every employee takes an oath to protect your personal information for life.
What is the Household Pulse Survey?
In addition to the 2020 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau is collecting data through the Household Pulse Survey to measure the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data will be disseminated in near real-time to inform federal and state response and recovery planning.
A limited number of addresses across the country have been invited to answer the Household Pulse Survey. If your household has been selected, you will receive an email from COVID.survey@census.gov with a link to complete the survey. Only those whose addresses have been selected to participate can complete the survey. Learn more about the Household Pulse Survey here.
Who should I count in my household?
If you are filling out the census for your home, you should count everyone who is or will be living there as of April 1, 2020.
This includes anyone—related or unrelated to you—who lives and sleeps at your home most of the time. Please be sure to count roommates, young children, newborns, and anyone who is renting a space in your home. If someone is staying in your home on April 1 and has no usual home elsewhere, you should count them in your response to the 2020 Census.
Please count everyone living in your home. Where there are more people, there are more needs. An accurate count helps inform funding for hospitals, fire departments, schools, and roads for the next 10 years.
What if I am in a special living situation?
You should count yourself at the place where you are living and sleeping most of the time as of April 1, 2020 (Census Day).
For some, this is straightforward. But others—including college students, service members, and people in health care facilities—may have questions about where they should count themselves or how they should respond. Other circumstances can cause confusion as well, such as moving, having multiple residences, having no permanent address, living in a shelter, or living at a hotel or RV park.
This year, the Census will be available in 13 languages: Spanish, Chinese (online in Simplified Chinese and by phone in Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Japanese. Over 99% of all U.S. households will be able to respond to the census in their preferred language. Read more here.
How do I know my mailing is not a scam?
Example mailings can be found on the Census website, as well as information on verifying a Census Bureau mailing or survey. Remember: the US Census Bureau will never ask for citizenship information, social security numbers, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party, or information about your credit cards or bank accounts.
If you suspect a fraud or scam, contact the U.S. Census Bureau at 800-923-8282. More information about potential fraud and scams is available on the U.S. Census website.
How do I know the person at my door is an official Census taker?
You may notice census takers in your neighborhood this year. Census takers will visit some homes in April to conduct quality check interviews or deliver paper questionnaires, and then in mid-May to help collect responses.
If someone visits your home to collect information for the 2020 Census, check to make sure that they have a valid ID badge, with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. Census workers may also carry Census Bureau bags and other equipment with the Census Bureau logo.
The best way to avoid a visit from a census taker is to fill out the 2020 Census questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail as soon as you receive your invitation to participate.
More information about census takers can be found on the U.S. Census website.
How should I count children in my home?
Yes! Young children ages 0-5 are an important and undercounted population in the census. Responding to the 2020 Census can help shape resources for children and their communities over the next decade. This could include support for health insurance programs, hospitals, child care, food assistance, schools, and early childhood development programs.
If you have children in your home, make sure they are counted in the right place.
The general rule is: Count children in the home where they live and sleep most of the time, even if their parents do not live there.
If you've just had a baby, and your baby is still in the hospital on Census Day (April 1, 2020), then count your baby at the home where he or she will live and sleep most of the time.
If children spend time in more than one home, count them where they stay most often. If their time is evenly divided, or if you do not know where they stay most often, count them where they are staying on April 1, 2020.
If you are helping to take care of a friend's or family member's child, and the child does not have a permanent place to live, count the child if he or she is staying with you on April 1, 2020—even if it's only temporary.
