Mailing 4: Reminder letter plus paper questionnaire, April 8-30
Mailing 5: “It’s not too late” postcard, April 27-May 9
Mailing 6: Reminder (will not include a paper form), July 22-28
July 16 - September 30
Non-Response Follow-Up
September 30
Last day for households to self-respond online, by phone or by mail
December 31
Census Bureau delivers apportionment count to President of the United States
July 31, 2021
Census Bureau delivers count to States for legislative redistricting
Important Clarifications
The first mailing is not a postcard.
People cannot obtain a paper questionnaire by calling the Census Bureau.
The daily self-response progress reports will represent percent of all known housing units (occupied, vacant, or nonexistent), not people, that have self-responded via internet, telephone, or paper questionnaire. The projected national 2020 Census self-response rate is 60.5%.
The Census Bureau will not email or text people for the 2020 Census. Beware of scams!
Self-Response Operation (March 12 - September 30)
This includes approximately 95% of all housing units.
Approximately 80% of these units will receive a letter with a unique ID, inviting an internet response. This is the “Internet First” mailing.
The remaining 20% of these units will receive a similar letter plus a paper questionnaire in their initial mailing. This is the “Internet Choice” mailing.
All homes will receive a Language Assistance sheet with toll-free numbers for 13 languages. Households can call these numbers to ask questions or give their answers over the phone in the language of their choice.
Non-Response Follow-Up Operation (mid July - September 30):
Starting in mid-July, an area census office (ACO) in each of the 6 census regions will re-start the process of interviewing households that haven’t responded to the census yet. All ACOs will be reopened by August 11.
If no one answers when an enumerator visits a household, a “Notice of Visit” will be left at the door. This notices will include an online response code to encourage households to self-respond.
After one unsuccessful attempt to contact a household, the Census Bureau will determine if the household can be counted using high quality federal administrative records. Households that do not meet this standard will receive additional visits from enumerators.
After the 3rd unsuccessful attempt, enumerators can ask nearby reliable “proxy” (e.g. landlord, neighbor, caregiver, letter carrier, or on-site utility worker) for details about the household. If there is no proxy available, enumerators will continue to visit the household up to 6 times.
After the 6th unsuccessful attempt, some special case households will still be eligible for additional visits through the end of September.
Update Leave (May 4- June 12) & Update Enumerate (June 14 - July 29) Operation
If no one answers when an enumerator visits a household, a “Notice of Visit”will be left at the door. This notices will include an online response code to encourage households to self-respond.
After one unsuccessful attempt to contact a household, the Census Bureau will determine if the household can be counted using high quality federal administrative records. Households that do not meet this standard will receive additional visits from enumerators.
After the 3rd unsuccessful attempt, enumerators can ask nearby reliable “proxy” (e.g. landlord, neighbor, caregiver, letter carrier, or on-site utility worker) for details about the household. If there is no proxy available, enumerators will continue to visit the household up to 6 times.
After the 6th unsuccessful attempt, some special case households will still be eligible for additional visits through the end of July.
Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (Offered in Select Areas):
Census Bureau staff will be available in public spaces (such as grocery stores, events) to answer questions and help people respond to the census online in selected areas based on current health restrictions. All Census Bureau staff will wear PPE and respect social distancing as recommended by local guidelines.
Enumeration of Transitory Locations (September 3-28):
This includes the count of people at transitory locations who do not have a “usual home elsewhere” (e.g. RV parks, campgrounds, hotels and motels, as well as some migrant worker housing).
Transitory location residents are counted in person (no self-response) in individual housing units where they live at the time of enumeration.
Advance contact will occur Feb 24 - March 21.
Data collection will occur September 3 - 28.
Group Quarters Operation (July 1- September 3):
This includes the count of people in group living arrangements such as college dorms, military barracks, prisons, and skilled nursing homes.
Advance contact with administrators will occur Feb 3 - March 6.
Group quarter enumeration will occur April 2 - September 3. Many group quarters have already begun responding via e-Response enumeration.
Service-based enumeration, which is the count of people experiencing homelessness, is considered part of the group quarter operation. This occurs at pre-identified target outdoor locations. Enumeration was originally scheduled for March 30 - April 1 but will now take place between September 22-24. More information is available here.
