Census 2020

Image of family with the title Get Counted, Healdsburg!

What is the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census counts every person -- no matter one’s citizenship or U.S. residency status -- living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The count is mandated every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan federal-government agency. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time the country has counted its population since 1790.

Why does the 2020 Census matter?

A complete and accurate count is critical for Healdsburg because the results of the 2020 Census will help determine:

  • the amount of federal funding communities receive -- including Healdsburg -- for hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other essential resources;
  • the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives;
  • how congressional and state legislative districts are drawn.

The Census Bureau is Hiring

The U.S. Census Bureau is still recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary jobs across the country to help with the 2020 Census count. Pay is competitive; in Sonoma County, the pay rate is $19 - $21 per hour. 

For more information and to apply, click here.

How do I take the 2020 Census? What questions do I have to answer?

2020 Census Survey

Once you get the invitation in the mail, you can respond in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When you respond, you’ll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020. You will answer a simple questionnaire about yourself and everyone who’s living with you on April 2, 2020. Click here for the questions you’ll be asked on your 2020 Census form.

Haga clic aquí para más información en español.

Usted puede responder al Censo del 2020 en en español.

Census Timeline: Important Dates

January 21: The U.S. Census Bureau started counting the population in remote Alaska, in the rural village of Toksook Bay.

March 12 - 20: Households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail. People can take the online survey in 12 non-English languages and language guides will be available in 59 non-English languages as well as American Sign Language and braille.

March 30 - April 1: The Census Bureau will count people experiencing homelessness over these three days. As part of this process, the Census Bureau counts people in shelters, soup kitchens and mobile food vans, on the streets, and at non-sheltered, outdoor locations such as tent encampments.

April 1: Census Day is observed nationwide. Every home will have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. 

May - July: Census takers will start visiting homes that haven’t responded to the census to help ensure everyone is counted.

December: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.

March 31, 2020: The Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to states. This information is used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.

2020 Census Resources

Learn more about the 2020 Census by going here. In addition, here are some other helpful links:

Sonoma County Resources