Who to Count
If you are filling out the census for your home, you should count everyone who is living there as of April 1, 2020. This includes anyone who is living and sleeping there most of the time. If someone is staying in your home on April 1, and has no usual home elsewhere, you should count them in your response to the 2020 Census.
2020 Census Questionnaire
Four Ways to Complete the Census
- Online
- By phone
- Mail paper form
- In person. (If you don't complete your census data by one of the methods listed above, a census taker will come to your home to collect your data.)
How the 2020 Census will invite Everyone to Respond
When it's time to respond, most households will receive an invitation in the mail. Every household will have the option of responding online by mail, or by phone. Depending on how likely your area is to respond online, you'll receive either an invitation encouraging you to respond online or an invitation along with a paper questionnaire.
Letter Invitation
Most areas of the country are likely to respond online, so most households will receive a letter asking you to go online to complete the census questionnaire. The U.S. Census plans on working with the U.S. Postal Service to stagger the delivery of these invitations over several days. This way we can spread out the number of users responding online, and we'll be able to serve you better if you need help over the phone.
Letter Invitation and Paper Questionnaire
Areas that are less likely to respond online will receive a paper questionnaire along with the invitation. The invitation will also include information about how to respond online or by phone.