Important Dates

Overall Timeline

The count is now complete, and the Census Bureau is currently processing the data, making sure that everyone is counted once, only once, and in the right place. Here's a look at some of the key upcoming dates, as they are currently scheduled:

2020-2021

• As close to December 31, 2020, as possible: The Census Bureau will deliver population counts used for apportionment to the president as required by law.
• As close to April 1, 2021, as possible: By this date, the Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to the states. This information is used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.

Each year, the Census Bureau will also release estimates from the American Community Survey. This survey supplements the census by providing information on more than 40 topics including education, income, health insurance coverage, commute times, occupations, and languages spoken at home.

Already Completed:

2019

• January - September: The U.S. Census Bureau opened more than 200 area census offices across the country. These offices supported and managed the census takers who worked all over the country to conduct the census.
• August - October: Census workers visited areas that have experienced a lot of change and growth to ensure that the Census Bureau's address list is up to date. This process is called address canvassing, and it helped in making sure everyone received an invitation to participate in the census.

2020

• January 21: The Census Bureau started counting the population in remote Alaska. The count officially began in the rural Alaskan village of Toksook Bay.
• March 12: The Census Bureau opened its phone lines and online self-response tool, allowing the public to begin submitting responses to the 2020 Census.
• March 12-20: Households received official Census Bureau mail inviting them to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail. Additional reminders were sent throughout the summer.
• April 1: Census Day was observed nationwide. By this date, most households had received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrived, people responded for their home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When they responded, they told the Census Bureau where they lived as of April 1, 2020.
• April 16 - June 19: Census takers worked with administrators at colleges, senior centers, prisons, and other facilities that house large groups of people to make sure everyone was counted.
• July 16 - October 15: Census takers interviewed homes that hadn't responded to the 2020 Census to make sure everyone was counted.
• September 23-24: The Census Bureau counted people who were experiencing homelessness. As part of this process, the Census Bureau counted people in shelters, at soup kitchens and mobile food vans, and at non-sheltered, outdoor locations such as tent encampments.
• October 15: Self-response data collection ended. By the time the internet self-response tool closed, at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time, over 99.9% of households had self-responded or been counted by census takers.

Census Day 2020

April 1 was Census Day, a key reference date for the 2020 Census. When completing the census, people marked where they were living—and included everyone living in their home—as of April 1, 2020.