Census 2020

HOW IT WORKS

The 2020 Census marks the first time that you'll have the option to respond online, but that doesn't mean you have to respond online.

Census Takers are out visiting households that haven't responded. Also, there are local Mobile Questionnaire Events from now through September where you can get help completing your census. Visit the city calendar to find an event.

How to respond

Online questionnaire available in 13 languages, plus a video in American Sign Language
By phone options available in 13 languages or TTD
Paper Questionnaire: There will be braille and large print guides online to assist with paper completion.

All households, regardless of whether the region will receive English/Spanish bilingual invitations, will receive information about how to respond in Spanish online and by phone.

What will they ask?

As required by the Census Act, the U.S. Census Bureau submitted a list of questions to Congress on March 29, 2018. Based on those questions, the 2020 Census will ask:

• How many people are living or staying at your home on April 1, 2020. This will help us count the entire U.S. population and ensure that we count people according to where they live on Census Day.
• Whether the home is owned or rented. This will help us produce statistics about homeownership and renting. The rates of homeownership serve as one indicator of the nation's economy. They also help in administering housing programs and informing planning decisions.
• About the sex of each person in your home. This allows us to create statistics about males and females, which can be used in planning and funding government programs. This data can also be used to enforce laws, regulations, and policies against discrimination.
• About the age of each person in your home. The U.S. Census Bureau creates statistics to better understand the size and characteristics of different age groups. Agencies use this data to plan and fund government programs that support specific age groups, including children and older adults.
• About the race of each person in your home. This allows us to create statistics about race and to provide other statistics by racial groups. This data helps federal agencies monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as those in the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.
• About whether a person in your home is of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. These responses help create statistics about this ethnic group. This is needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as those in the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.
• About the relationship of each person in your home. This allows the Census Bureau to create estimates about families, households, and other groups. Relationship data is used in planning and funding government programs that support families, including people raising children alone.

Governments, businesses, communities, and nonprofits all rely on the data that these questions produce to make critical decisions.

Click to view a sample of the 2020 Census Questionnaire.

Who Counts?

If you are filling out the census for your home, you should count everyone who is living there as of April 1, 2020. This includes anyone who is living and sleeping there most of the time. 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.

It is important to remember to count any children who are living with you. This includes:
+All children who live in your home, including foster children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and the children of friends (even if they are living with you temporarily).
+Children who split their time between homes, if they are living with you on April 1, 2020.
+Newborn babies, even those who are born on April 1, 2020, or who are still in the hospital on this date.

Residence Criteria: Get clarification for those living in certain living situations.

Click for more information related to counting those in special circumstances including: students, people in shelters, foreign citizens, and more.

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GET INVOLVED

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Apply To Be a Census Taker

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country to assist with the 2020 Census count. Here in Wayne County, there are hundreds of temporary Census Taker positions. These temporary positions have:
+Flexible hours (minimum of 10 hours/week)
+Weekly paychecks
+Competitive Wages ($18.50/hr for Census Taker positions in Wayne County, plus night and weekend differential, and mileage)
+Paid Training

For more details and to apply, visit the 2020 Census jobs website.

Educators

The Statistics in Schools program provides free activities to educate students about the value and everyday uses of Census Bureau data, including the data collected during the 2020 Census. Whether you're teaching pre-K students or high schoolers, there are many ways to incorporate census data into your lessons. Discover fun facts about your state and access free activities that incorporate census data into subjects such as math, geography, history, sociology, and English language arts. Get started today! Click to learn more about Statistics in Schools.

Get inspired! 

America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
Read stories on topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, the economy, emergency preparedness, and population and learn about the impact of Census data. #AmericaCounts

Updates

Sign up for official Census email updates.

Resources