The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. Each home received an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire—online, by phone, or by mail. This marked the first time that everyone could respond to the census online.
The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other services based on census data.
The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
It’s also in the Constitution: Article 1, Section 2, mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. The 2020 Census marked the 24th time that the country has counted its population; the first was in 1790.