What Is the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census counts every person living in the United States and five U.S. territories. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.
The census is used to decide the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives, and for state legislative district boundaries. State demographers expect the population of Colorado to exceed 5.8 million in 2020, and if that projection is accurate, they expect Colorado to gain an 8th Congressional seat. An accurate count in the census will determine another seat in Congress and where district lines are drawn.
https://youtu.be/Eq-FMB4epyw
The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
An estimated $880 billion a year in federal funding is distributed for schools, roads and other public services in local communities. In Colorado, this equates to approximately $13 billion annually or an estimated $2,300 per person that can be used across a range of programs.
Why is the 2020 Census important to Norwood and San Miguel County?
Did you know that just 33% of the households in San Miguel County that received a 2010 Census questionnaire mailed it back to the federal government? According to an article in The Colorado Sun, being counted in the census is vital for Norwood and San Miguel County because our community stands to lose approximately $1,200 a year for each person not counted. Funding which could go toward public services including education, emergency services, mental health and transportation. This may not sound like much, but for a small county, the lack of representation could lead to significant underfunding of current resources.
How do I complete the Census?
- Beginning April 1, 2020 the census can be filled out:
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- Online: Click here to complete your census! Respond with the ID code that was mailed to your physical address or click “If you do not have a Census ID, click here” in the online questionnaire.
- Phone: Call 844-330-2020, or answer questions from a U.S. Census Bureau caller.
- Paper survey: if you receive mail at your physical address (not PO Box) a paper survey will be sent to you that can be completed and returned in the enclosed envelope.
- The census will be available in 13 different languages and is easy to answer—it will only take about 10 minutes to complete.
- You will be asked for your name, address, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and housing tenure.
Do I have to participate in the census?
Yes! Every person living in the U.S. is required by law to participate in the census.
Who gets counted in the census?
The Census Bureau includes every person living in the U.S. — regardless of citizenship or immigration status. International visitors on vacation or work trips to the U.S. during the census are not included.
What questions will the 2020 census ask?
- The number of people living or staying in a home on April 1, 2020.
- Whether the home is owned with or without a mortgage, rented or occupied without rent.
- A phone number for a person in the home.
- The name, sex, age, date of birth and race of each person in the home.
- Whether each person is of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin.
- The relationship of each person to a central person in the home.
Notable changes for 2020 include new write-in areas under the race question for the non-Hispanic origins. There are also new household relationship categories that allow couples living together to identify their relationships as either “same-sex” or “opposite-sex.”
Can I refuse to answer a census question?
You can skip questions, submit an incomplete census form, and still be included in the head count. But you can be fined for refusing to answer a census question or intentionally giving a false answer, although the penalty has been enforced rarely in the past. Returning a partially filled-out questionnaire may result in a follow-up phone call or visit from a census worker.
Is the census confidential?
Yes! The census is 100% confidential and no information that you share on the census will be shared with anyone
- By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondent answers with the FBI, the CIA, Welfare, Immigration or even the President of the United States. It’s safe and secure.
- There is NO citizenship question on the 2020 Census. The census is 100% confidential and no information that you share on the census will be shared with anyone.
Looking for work? The census is hiring!
The U.S. Census Bureau will be hiring local, temporary workers to help conduct the census in our communities. These workers are critical for San Miguel to be counted. Recent high school graduates, veterans, retirees, military spouses, seasonal workers and applicants who are bilingual are highly encouraged to apply.
While the pay for such jobs depends on positions and locations, most census takers start at $14 an hour.
To qualify, census takers must be U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old and can pass a criminal history background check. They also must be willing to complete training for the jobs, work flexible hours, which could include evenings and weekends, have valid driver’s licenses, access to a computer with internet, and an email account to complete their training.
Applicants can call the bureau’s job line at 1-855-JOB-2020, or go to www.2020census.gov and click on the “Jobs” tab.
Resources:
https://tchnetwork.org/census2020/
https://www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/564/Census-2020
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/31/707899218/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-2020-census
https://coloradosun.com/2019/06/24/rural-colorado-census-2020/