What is the Census? (1:51)
What is the 2020 Decennial Census?
- A headcount (enumeration) by the U.S. Census Bureau of every person living in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
- Mandated by the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 2, Clause 3).
- Conducted every 10 years since 1790.
2020 Census: What's in It for You?
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Seats in U.S. House of Representatives Redistricting |
Community and emergency planning |
Federal funding $675 billion |
Civic duty to respond to Census |
Representation:2020 Census Timeline
| Mid-March 2020 |
Official letters from U.S. Census Bureau sent. Self-response period starts. When completing the census questionnaire, you will include everyone living in your home on April 1. |
| April 1, 2020 | Census Day |
| May - July 2020 | Non-response follow-up period. Census takers will knock on the doors. |
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2020 CENSUS: Key Areas for Attention Raised by Compressed TimeframesGAO Report -20-720T: Published: Sep 10, 2020.
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2020 CENSUS: Recent Decision to Compress Census Timeframes Poses Additional Risks to an Accurate CountGAO Report -20-671R: Published: Aug 27, 2020.
How Are Students Counted?
Students are counted where they live and sleep most of the time.
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Students living at home |
Counted as their parents’ or guardians’ address |
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Students living on campus |
Counted on campus; coordinated by the university student housing |
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Students living off campus |
Counted at their off-campus residence address Roommates sharing an apartment or a house should designate one person to respond to the census questionnaire |
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International students (long-term) |
Counted where they live and sleep most of the time |
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DACA / undocumented students |
Counted where they live and sleep most of the time |
The 2020 Census will count everyone living in the United States and the five U.S. territories on April 21 regardless of their citizenship status, at their usual residence, which is the place where they live and sleep most of the time. Persons who do not have a usual residence or who cannot determine a usual residence are counted where they are on Census Day, April 1, 2020.
Citizens of foreign countries who are living in the United States, including members of the diplomatic community, are counted at the U.S. residence where they live and sleep most of time. Citizens of foreign countries who are visiting the United States on vacation or business on April 1, 2020, are not counted.