2020 Census – Your Neighborhood Needs Your Response

Why the 2020 Census Matters for Your Community

The United States has conducted a nationwide census every ten years since 1790, fulfilling the Constitutional requirement to count every person living in the country. While the process itself has evolved—moving from marshals riding on horseback to secure online forms—the purpose remains exactly the same: to ensure every community receives fair representation and essential funding.

In 1840, the census became centralized under the newly created Census Office. By 1903, it was renamed the Census Bureau and placed under the Department of Commerce, where it continues its work today. Each decade, the results of this massive national survey influence how billions of federal dollars are distributed and how political representation is determined.

Why Your Census Response Matters

Beginning in mid-March of 2020, households across America were invited to complete their census forms online or by mail. While returning the census might seem simple—or easy to forget—your participation directly affects your community's future.

Census data helps determine how the federal government allocates funding for critical programs and services. Communities with higher response rates receive a larger share of available funds, allowing them to improve local infrastructure, expand essential programs, and better support the people who live there. When residents don’t respond, their communities receive less than they need and less than they deserve.

According to a 2018 Census Bureau survey, only 45% of respondents understood how many funding decisions rely on census results. The reality is that census numbers influence nearly every aspect of community support.

How Census Funding Helps Your Community

Federal programs rely on census data to allocate resources across the nation. Here are just a few examples of what census-driven funding supports:

Highway planning and construction
Water and waste system improvements
Public transit grants
Emergency response services
Head Start and early childhood education programs
Pell Grants
School breakfast and lunch programs
Adult education
Special education services
Rural health care
Medicaid and Medicare Part B
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Foster care and adoption assistance
Veterans' services
Housing assistance programs
Nutrition programs such as WIC
Wildfire preparedness and environmental conservation
Unemployment insurance
Crime victim support programs
English language and literacy programs

For a complete list of how census data shapes federal funding, visit the official Census Bureau guide.

Census Data and Political Representation

Your census response affects more than funding—it determines how your voice is represented in Congress. Census results decide how the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are divided among the 50 states. States with growing populations gain seats; states with declining populations lose them. No state is guaranteed to keep the same number of seats after each census.

Accurate counts also guide state and local officials in drawing fair congressional and state district boundaries. Balanced districts—each with roughly equal populations—ensure every resident has an equal say in elections. Underreported communities risk losing political influence through outdated or inaccurate district lines.

What Happens Next?

Over the next several months, the Census Bureau will continue processing submitted responses. After that, census workers will visit households that haven’t responded to ensure every person is counted. This step helps guarantee communities receive the full share of resources and representation they’re entitled to for the next decade.