What is the census?,
The U.S. census is a national population count that occurs every 10 years.
Are my answers safe?,
Yes, your information is confidential. The U.S. Census Bureau never identifies you individually. It combines your responses with information from other households or businesses to produce statistics, which never identify your household, any person in your household, or business.
Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidentiality of all your information and violating this law is a crime with severe penalties. In addition, other federal laws, including the Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act and the Privacy Act reinforce these protections. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.
No law enforcement agency (DHS, ICE, FBI or CIA) can access or use your personal information at any time. Data collected can only be used for statistical purposes that help inform important decisions, including how much federal funding our community will receive.
What information will be asked?,
You will be asked a few simple questions, like age, sex, and the number of people who live in your home, including children.
What information will not be asked?,
There will be no citizenship question on the 2020 Census. In addition, the Census Bureau will never ask for:
- Social Security numbers.
- Bank or credit card account numbers.
- Money or donations.
- Anything on behalf of a political party.
What if I forgot to respond? ,
If you haven’t responded by April 1, 2020, you will receive a reminder and will eventually receive a paper questionnaire in the mail. Census workers, also known as enumerators, will only visit households that did not respond to the Census survey in late April through early July 2020.
If I share where I live, how should I complete the census?,
The Census Bureau encourages residents to complete one form per household to the best of your ability. However, if two families live in one dwelling and complete two separate forms under the same address, the U.S. Census Bureau will merge those surveys. No individual will be omitted.
Be sure to count all children and anyone who sleeps at your dwelling a majority of the time.
What if I'm moving or share custody?,
Census Day is April 1, 2020. If you’re moving or share custody of children, count yourself and your kids where they will be located on April 1, 2020.
How is information that is collected used?,
Data from the census provide the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to communities across the country to support vital programs—impacting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care and public policy.
The data is also used to determine the number of congressional seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and redraw the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts. A complete count gives our state the strongest possible voice in DC.
How will the U.S. Census Bureau contact me & how can I respond?,
For the 2020 Census, you can respond online, by mail, by phone, or through an in-person interview.
Starting in March 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will begin to contact households through a series of mailings:
- March 16-23 Mailing 1: Letter with information to take survey online will be sent to a majority of people, while about 20-25 percent of the population (with specific demographic characteristics and lower internet connectivity) will receive a letter and paper survey.
- March 20-27 Mailing 2: Letter to non-respondents
- March 30-April 6 Mailing 3: Reminder postcard to non- respondents
- April 12-19 Mailing 4: Letter and paper survey sent to non-respondents.
- April 23-30 Mailing 5: “It’s not too late” postcard to non-respondents
How can I tell information and people are affiliated with the census?,
All Census Bureau information and workers will NEVER:
- Contact you by email
- Ask you to step outside your home or ask to enter your home
- Ask for your Social Security number
- Ask for money, donations, or credit card information
All Census Bureau officials will have an ID and Census briefcase.
Should you suspect fraudulent activity, please do the following
if you get mail:
check that the return address is Jeffersonville, Indiana
if you continue to question the authenticity of the letter or form call the Regional Office for your state to verify the household survey. For business surveys please visit our Business Help Site or contact the National Processing Center
if someone calls your household to complete a survey:
if someone visits your residence to complete a survey:
check first for a valid U.S. Census Bureau ID badge
if you are still unsure then call the Regional Office for your state to verify you are in a legitimate survey and the visitor is a Census Bureau employee
if you get an e-mail and think it is bogus:
do not reply, do not click on any links, and do not open any attachments
forward the e-mail or website URL to the Census Bureau at ois.fraud.reporting@census.gov
delete the message. We will investigate and notify you of the findings.