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Once each decade, the U.S. Census Bureau attempts to count every person 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.

The 2020 Census will require counting an increasingly diverse and growing population of around 330 million people in more than 140 million housing units across the country.

To get an accurate count, the Census Bureau must build an accurate address list of EVERY housing unit, maximize self-response to the census, and efficiently follow up with those who do not respond. An accurate count is one in which every person is counted once, only once, and in the right place.

Verification of addresses where people reside is an important part of the Census project and this process began in August 2019.  Census Bureau employees (listers) have started walking through neighborhoods across the country checking addresses not verified with Census Bureau software. In-field address canvassing has begun in Lake County and will continue through mid-October 2019.

To help identify address listers, employees will have badges and briefcases indicating their affiliation with the Census Bureau. They will knock on doors and ask a few simple questions to verify the address and any additional living quarters on the property for inclusion in the census.

Employees will introduce themselves as a Census Bureau employee, show their official government ID badge, and explain the purpose of the visit. People may also ask them for a picture ID from another source to confirm their identity.

The primary and perpetual challenge facing the Census Bureau is the undercount of certain population groups. The challenge is amplified in California where more residents are considered "hard to count." Those include foreign-born residents, renters, individuals living in homes without internet service, people living close to or below the poverty line, and children younger than five years old. 

Count Me In for Census 2020 because.....

It is Important

The Census determines the number of Representatives each state has in Congress and is used to draw district boundaries. Census data is used to distribute billions of dollars in Federal and State funding. Being counted brings those resources back to our community. 

It is Easy

The Census form includes ten questions about each person's age, gender, race, and relationship to householder. It should take about 10 minutes to fill out, more if there are more people living in the home.

In 2020, you will be able to fill out the census form online, over the phone, by paper, or in person. 

It is Safe 

All data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau is confidential and may not be turned over to any other government agency including immigration enforcement or even the President. 

 The 2020 Census will shape Lake County’s future for the next decade.  It has never been more important to ensure that all the people of Lake County are counted.  We live in an area that, based on demographic, socioeconomic and housing characteristics, will be hard to count in the 2020 census. 

 It is critical that every single person in our communities gets counted.  If we, as individuals are not counted, our neighborhoods and communities will lose millions of dollars – lost money for education, health care, and infrastructure.  We cannot let that happen.  Our numbers also determine how electoral districts will be decided.  If we want representatives who fight for us on school boards, in the State Legislature and the Congress, we have to be counted.  Be Counted, Lake County!