U.S. 2020 Census FAQ

What is a census? A census is an official, complete count of a population. A census may also record details about each person such as age, sex, and living arrangement. Unlike a survey, which captures data for a sample of the population and uses that sample to infer characteristics for the larger pop…

By law, the U.S. government is required to count the number of people living in the United States every 10 years. Getting an accurate count is important because census numbers impact daily life in the United States in many ways.

This exclusive preview of the upcoming decennial census reveals population shifts with major implications for the nation’s political, social, and economic future.

Many children may lose public health insurance and nutrition assistance benefits under proposed changes to U.S. immigration policy.

The number of U.S. children living in counties with high drug overdose death rates has increased sharply since 2000.

The addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census may put almost one in 10 U.S. households and nearly 45 million people at greater risk of not being counted―the question has been shown to reduce response rates. Undercount risk is particularly high among young children. In April 2020, a censu…

Pre-2017 Launch 2020 Census website. Release 2020 Census Operational Plan. Conduct testing. 2017 Report to Congress on Subjects Planned for 2020 Census. Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) begins. Address Canvassing begins for 2018 end-to-end test. Residency Rules announced. 2018 Question wordin…

The first nation in the world to take a regular population census, the United States has been counting its population every 10 years since 1790—as required by the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 2).1 The first U.S. census was conducted by 16 U.S. marshals and their 650 assistants. It took them…

This Population Bulletin presents a comprehensive new Index of Young Women’s Well-Being to show how social and structural barriers to progress have contributed to a stall for young women in Generation X and the Millennial generation.

Medicaid provides health insurance coverage to more people than any other single program in the United States, with coverage for low-income children, adults, seniors, and those with disabilities.

By looking at the intersection of poverty and inequality in local areas—and how this has changed over time. Addressing these disparities is important to improve the lives of families who are struggling and to strengthen the U.S. economy.

Suicides have become the second-leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States, surpassing homicide deaths, which dropped to third on the list. The teenage suicide rate increased from 8 deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 8.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2014.