It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail—all without having to meet a census taker.
You can respond online in English or in 12 additional languages at my2020census.gov. You can access a video tutorial on how to fill out here.
You can also respond by phone in English or in 12 additional languages. To respond in English call 1-844-330-2020.
By mid-April, the U.S. Census Bureau will mail a paper questionnaire to every household that hasn’t already responded. (Some households will receive a paper questionnaire along with the first invitation in March). To learn more about the type of mailing you will receive visit the City University of New York (CUNY) Hard to Count map tool here.
Census takers will visit all households that do not respond in the spring and summer. During this time you can continue to self respond both online and by phone until July 31st.
To learn more about language access click here.
What Is The Census? Why Is It Important?
The U.S. Constitution requires that every person living in the United States is counted every ten years. The next census will take place from March through July of 2020.
Census data are important to our democracy – these data determine apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and how district lines are drawn at all levels of government.
Census data also guide the allocation of more than $800 billion in federal funding to programs that are crucial to the well-being of families and communities.
Top 10 Census Guided Federal Programs:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutritional Assistance (SNAP)
- Medicare
- Highway Planning and Construction
- Section 8 Housing
- Title 1 Grants to Local Education Agencies
- National School Lunch Program
- Special Education Grants
- State Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP)
- Head Start / Early Head Start
We only get one chance every ten years at achieving a full count – these data will inform important policy decisions and determine federal funding allocations for a decade.
Download the attached document for more information.