Census 2020 Is Underway!

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The next decennial census is nearly upon us once again. This spring the US Census Bureau will strive to count every resident, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Census Word Cloud

Image by Mary Pahlke from Pixabay

Census results impact highway planning and construction. The important data gained from the Census influence spending on schools, programs to support rural areas, restore wildlife, economic development and housing. States and local governments also use Census data to make important decisions in spending and program implementation.

But the impacts of the Census expand well beyond governments who use the data. The population, economic, and social characteristics drawn from the Census impact the decisions of businesses. With this data businesses are able to discern where the best locations are for new restaurants and retail centers. The locations selected for factories and offices are often influenced by the statistics of the surrounding potential employment base.

Here are some of the upcoming key dates along the way:

April 1, 2020 – CENSUS DAY! By this date, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Census takers will also start visiting college students on campuses, those living in senior centers, and others who live among large groups of people.

May 2020 – Census Bureau begins visiting homes that haven’t responded to the Census to make sure everyone is counted.

December 2020 – The US Census Bureau will provide apportionment counts to the President and Congress.

March 31, 2021 – The Bureau will send redistricting counts to states. This information is used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.

For more on Census 2020 check out their Community Impact page:

https://2020census.gov/en/community-impact.html?

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Christopher Solberg

About Chris Solberg

Though Christopher Solberg (AICP) works in a suburb of a metropolitan area, his roots are in Red Oak, Iowa, a community of 5,500 persons southeast of Omaha. He has spent a significant amount of his career helping small towns. Through his time working for a regional planning association and for a private consultant Chris has helped numerous small towns throughout Iowa and Nebraska. Chris was the President of the Nebraska Planning and Zoning Association (NPZA) for eight years and a member of both the NPZA and NE APA Nebraska boards.