What You Should Know About the 2020 Census

The census is a nationwide count of the country's population that is mandated to occur every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution (see the Census Bureau's page for more background).  The City of Platteville, like many units of government and organizations across the country, is undertaking a community outreach effort to explain why this national effort for a complete and accurate count of residents is important locally.

The City has formed a "Complete Count Committee" made up of various leaders from non-profits, business, education, and other community organizations. The goal of the CCC is to improve communication on why accurate counts are important locally, and to provide outreach for populations who are the least likely to respond or are known to be hard to count. If you are interested in participating in the Committee, please contact Community Development Director Joe Carroll at (608) 348-9741 ext. 2235.

It is important to make sure you are counted in 2020 because:

The Census is Important for Representation
Political district boundaries are based on the census. Everyone living in the US (not just citizens) must be counted to ensure equal representation at all levels of government.

The Census is Important for Funding
The census count affects state and federal funding for our community over the next decade. $675 billion in annual federal funding is tied to the census. Every person who is not counted may result in a loss of over $2,000 in funding per year.  The census data impacts funding for children's health insurance, child care, hospitals, schools, food assistance, Pell Grants and more.

It's easy
The census form includes nine questions about each person's age, gender, race, and relationship to householder. It should take less than 10 minutes to fill out for most households.  You will be able to fill out the census form online, over the phone, by paper, or in person.

Count Everyone
Be sure to count everyone who lives in your home, apartment or other dwelling on your 2020 Census form.  This includes babies and young children, and applies to homeowners as well as renters.  Be sure to include all family members, roommates, and all related and un-related individuals.  If someone is living with you for part of the year - count them.

It's Safe
All data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau is confidential and may only be used for statistical purposes.  It is against the law for any Census Bureau employee to disclose or publish any census information that identifies an individual or business to any government agency or person outside the Census Bureau.  This means any personally identifiable census information is prohibited from being shared with law enforcement, courts, landlords, credit agencies, or anyone else outside the Census Bureau.

Visit www.platteville.org/cd/page/2020-census to stay updated with the 2020 Census process.