One of the most powerful things you can do for your community is to participate in the Census. Your participation helps ensure your community receives the funding it deserves for important services and programs. An accurate and complete 2020 Census count is vital to Alachua County, as Census data is used to determine how more than $675 billion in federal government resources will be distributed each year for the next decade to states and localities.
Everyone! Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Census counts all people who reside in the United States, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. University students must fill out the Census in Alachua County, not their parent’s residence.
The United States Census is a national population count that occurs every ten years.
Online, by telephone, or via mail! This is the first Census to go digital, so you can fill out your household survey on your home computer or on your smart device.
Started in March 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will mail letters to every household in the United States inviting all to respond to the Census survey. Every household should receive a letter requesting that they complete a census survey online, by mail, or phone by Census Day on April 1, 2020.
The data collected from the Census is used to make sure everyone is equally represented in our political system and that government resources are allocated fairly. The Census data determines how many congressional seats a state receives; how much federal funding will be allocated to local communities for public services and infrastructure needs; and provides a picture of the changing demographics of the country.
The Census survey will ask your name, sex, age, date of birth, race/ethnicity, as well as those details for everyone in your household. For more information on what you will be asked on the Census visit https://2020census.gov/en/who-to-count.html.
A household consists of all the people who occupy a housing unit, both related family members and all the unrelated people, if any, such as lodgers, foster children, wards, or employees who share the housing. For more information on who to count on your Census form visit https://2020census.gov/en/who-to-count.html.
