Census Information

The 2020 Census is Safe, Secure, and Confidential.

The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States. It is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution and takes place every 10 years. The data collected by the census determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives (a process called apportionment) and is also used to distribute billions in federal funds to local communities.

Libraries are directly affected by the Census through population-based federal funding such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services grants to states under the Library Services and Technology Act. And this effect is magnified many times for other vital programs that serve our most vulnerable communities—federal funding for Medicaid, public housing, and the National School Lunch Program, to name a few. Working to ensure a complete count is fundamentally an issue of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Take the Census

Ready to fill out the 2020 Census online?
Click here for the official form

Have some questions about completing the Census?
Read answers to Frequently Asked Questions and more on the Census Help Page

Were you also asked to respond to the American Community Survey?
Learn about the importance of ACS and how if differs from the Census.

Learn more about the Census

Why is the Census important?
Learn more about the lasting impact of the Census at Census Counts

Want to dive deeper into Census data?
Explore data.census.gov

Want to explore historic Census data?
HeritageQuest® Online is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more.