Preparation underway for 2020 Census

County Commissioner Dean Kinzer reported to the commissioners Monday morning on a 2020 Census session he attended this past week.

He said this session covered details related to the upcoming census and the importance of the numbers collected.

“It is constitutional and required every 10 years,” Kinzer said. “About $675 billion are distributed to schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs such as WIC and SNAP based on Census numbers.”

Kinzer added this is why this is so important everybody gets counted as this could mean thousands of dollars to the area.

According to the United State Census Bureau, along with funds given to different counties and communities, data collected from the Census helps state officials redraw congressional and state legislative districts to account for population shifts.

The first census to take place was in 1790.

Beginning between March 12 to March 20, households will be receiving invitations to respond online to the 2020 Census. Some households will receive paper questionnaires as well.

“They won’t be opening a URL until the first part of March,” Kinzer said. “Sometime around March 16, everybody will be receiving a reminder letter in the mail as well to complete their part of the Census.”

Everyone participating in the Census will have the option of responding either through the mail, online or by phone.

If a response hasn’t been received by March 24, another reminder postcard will go out on March 26 and a final reminder will be sent at the end of April, according to the United States Census Bureau.

“The information is strictly confidential and nobody will have access to that information,” Kinzer said. “If you don’t answer by the specific date in April, they will send people door-to-door.”

According to the United States Census Bureau, 95 percent of households will receive their Census invitation in the mail, approximately five percent will receive the invite by someone dropping it off at their door and less than one percent will have their information taken by a Census taker instead of receiving an invitation.

Kinzer added that unlike previous years, there will only be 10 questions on the 2020 Census.

“They learned their lesson this time around,” Kinzer said. “The questions will include name, gender, number of people living at the address, race, etc.”