Census 2020

Every Woman Counts

Women Creating Change is committed to a fair and accurate census count.

What is the Census?

The Census counts ALL people living in the United States (citizens and non-citizens, students, children, homeowners, renters, and homeless individuals). It happens every 10 years and determines federal funding allocations for the years between Census counts. The information you provide is confidential.

Why is the Census Important to Me?

The Census is critical for 3 primary reasons. The number of people who respond helps determine:

1. Money: The distribution of $675 billion in federal funds (Medicaid, schools, WIC, CHIP, SNAP, housing);
2. Fair Representation: The number of seats New York will get in Congress to ensure fair representation; and
3. District Lines: The boundaries for legislative districts, which affects a community’s political power in Congress and legislative representation.

What Can You Do?

1. Complete the census!
   It is very easy and only takes 10 minutes to complete the 9-12 questions.
   • Online: my2020census.gov
   • Phone: 844-330-2020 (English) or here for other languages
   • Mail: Only certain neighborhoods will receive paper forms
2. Encourage others to complete the census as much as you can.
   • Help educate them about why the Census is important to their lives through phone conversations, email, social media, and more.
   • Guide them to the Census Website and the resources below, including NY Counts 2020, if they do not know where to go.
   • Follow along to see how many people in your neighborhood have responded.
3. Volunteer to help ensure NYC has a fair and accurate count by organizing members of your community!
   • Visit the NYC Census 2020 web page to get volunteer resources.
   • Participate in events with NYC Census 2020.

Timeline

• March 12 – September 30:  Complete census online, by phone, or by mail.
• April 1st:  Census Day (Respond to the Census based on where you live on April 1).
• August 11 – October 31: Nonresponse follow up – Census takers will visit households who have not completed the Census.*

* Pending COVID-19 adjustments.

Resources

• Census 101, US Census Bureau
• Videos and Factsheet, NYC Census 2020
• Privacy: 2020 Census Safety and Security, US Census Bureau
• Social Media Strategies, New York Counts 2020
• Toolkits and Resources, New York Counts 2020
• Why the Census Matters for Women & Girls, National Women’s Law Center at Georgetown
• Factsheets, US Census Bureau
• Children: Count them! Children under five are undercounted more than any other group
• Census Day Joint Statement, Census Counts
• For more information, see the WCC Census one-pager.

Census Updates and Outcomes:

• New York City overcame many obstacles — from the pandemic to Supreme Court challenges — to register a historic 61.8% self-response rate to the 2020 Census. This rate exceeded the U.S. Census Bureau’s pre-COVID estimate of 58%, thanks to the hard work of a broad coalition of community organizations, nonprofits, public advocates, and government initiatives like NYC Census 2020.
• Three out of five boroughs surpassed their 2010 response rates (Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island).
• Apportionment:  While New York was projected to lose two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the  state will lose only one, thanks to New York’s successful response rate of 63.8%.
• 213 out of 245 neighborhoods (87%) are within five points, at, or several points above their 2010 response rates (of these, 132 neighborhoods are ahead of their 2010 rates)

Source: NYC Census 2020, October 17, 2020.  https://www1.nyc.gov/site/census/index.page