The US Census is a constitutionally mandated count of every person living in the United States, conducted every 10 years by the US Census Bureau. The census determines congressional representation (apportionment), the drawing of legislative districts, and the allocation of over $1.5 trillion in annual federal funding to states and communities for roads, schools, healthcare, housing, and emergency services.
7 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Process
- Receive your census invitation — Every household receives an invitation by mail in early spring of the census year (e.g., March-April 2030). The invitation contains a unique Census ID for your hous...
- Respond online (preferred method) — Visit my2020census.gov (or the equivalent URL for 2030) and enter your Census ID. The questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete.
- Respond by phone (alternative) — Call the number provided in your invitation. Phone support is available in 13 languages.
- Respond by mail (alternative) — Some households receive a paper questionnaire. Complete and return it in the provided prepaid envelope.
- Answer the questions — The questionnaire asks about the number of people living at your address as of April 1, their names, ages, dates of birth, sex, race, ethnicity, relationships to the person f...
- Count everyone correctly — Include everyone living and sleeping at your address most of the time as of April 1, including children, babies, other relatives, and non-relatives. College students are ...
- Complete the American Community Survey if selected — About 3.5 million households per year receive the ACS, which asks more detailed questions about income, education, housing, transportation, and ...
Common Mistakes
- Not responding at all
- Undercounting household members
- Counting people at the wrong address
- Worrying about privacy
- Confusing the census with the ACS
Pro Tips
- Responding online is the fastest and most convenient method
- Your census response directly affects your community's share of over $1.5 tri...
- Census data becomes publicly available after 72 years, making it a valuable r...
- The Census Bureau hires hundreds of thousands of temporary workers for each d...
- Hard-to-count communities (renters, young children, immigrants, mobile popula...