2020 Census

The Constitution mandates a population count once every 10 years. The Census started in 1790, and this year’s Census will shape how political power and federal tax dollars are shared in the U.S over the next 10 years.
The number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets are determined by Census numbers.
They also guide how an estimated $880 billion a year in federal funding is distributed for schools, roads, and other public services in local communities.
The demographic data are used by businesses to determine, for example, where to build new supermarkets, and by emergency responders to locate injured people after natural disasters.

The Census Bureau includes every person living in the U.S.—<b>regardless of age, citizenship, or immigration status.</b> International visitors on vacation or work trips to the U.S. during the census are not included. All residents, including infants, are counted at the address where they usually live and sleep.

You can respond to the Census in one of three ways

Online: For the first time in history, there will be the option to fill out the Census online.

On the phone: Toll-free 800 numbers will be available to complete the Census over the phone in one of 12 non-English languages. For more information about filling out the census by phone visit here.

In writing: Paper forms will be mailed in April 2020 to households who have not already completed the Census online or by phone.

The 2020 Census is easy. You will answer a simple questionnaire about yourself and everyone who is living with you on April 1, 2020. The initial questions include:

How many people are living in the home on April 1, 2020?
Any additional people staying in the home on April 1, 2020?
Is the home owned or rented?
What is your phone number?
And for each person in the home:

Name
Gender
Age and Date of Birth
Ethnic origin
Race
Relationship to the first person listed (spouse, child, renter, parent, roommate, etc.)

The Census collects data that will help states, counties, and communities determine:

<b>Representation:</b> The number of seats a state has in the U.S. House of Representatives, and are used to draw the districts for congressional and state government.
<b>Funding:</b> How to distribute approximately $880 billion in federal funding to local communities yearly.
<b>Planning:</b> The creation and upkeep of local services such as roads, schools, hospitals, senior centers, emergency services, and libraries.
<b>Businesses:</b> The creation of factories, business headquarters, and stores, as well as the ability to recruit employees and conduct market research.
<b>$26 billion dollars came to Pennsylvania in 2015 based on census data.</b>

Mid-March 2020: An invitation to respond to the Census online will be sent to every residence sometime between March 12-20, 2020.

End of March 2020: A reminder letter and a reminder postcard will both be sent out at the end of March to the beginning of April.

Beginning of April 2020: If you still haven’t responded and completed the Census, a reminder letter AND a paper questionnaire will be sent between April 8-16.

End of April 2020: A final reminder is sent between April 20-27 before a Census employee comes out in person to addresses that have not responded.