The Household Pulse Survey is a 20-minute online survey studying how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting households across the country from a social and economic perspective. The survey asks questions about how education, employment, food security, health, housing, social security benefits, household spending, stimulus payments, and transportation have been affected by the ongoing crisis.

In order to support the nation’s recovery, we need to know the ways this pandemic has affected people’s lives and livelihoods. Data from this survey will show the widespread effects of the coronavirus pandemic on individuals, families, and communities across the country.

Your participation will help federal and state officials direct aid, assistance, and support to the people and places that need it most. This survey provides information that cannot be collected elsewhere. Your response is key. 

We are currently in Phase 3 of the Household Pulse Survey, which began October 28, 2020 and will run through December 21, 2020. Phase 1 of the survey ran from April 23, 2020 through July 21, 2020 and Phase 2 from August 19, 2020 through October 26, 2020.

The Census Bureau randomly chose your address, not you personally, to participate in this survey. A limited number of addresses from across the country were scientifically selected to represent the entire population.

Your participation is important, and your response cannot be replaced by one from another household address.

If you have been selected to participate in the Household Pulse Survey, you will receive an email from COVID.survey@census.gov or a text message from 39242* (message and data rates may apply) with a link to complete the survey. If we have not received a response from you, you may receive up to 3 follow-up reminders.

Only those whose addresses have been selected to participate can complete the survey. A limited number of addresses across the country have been invited to answer the Household Pulse Survey. 

All communications from the Census Bureau regarding the Household Pulse Survey, including all emails, texts, and the link to the survey, will originate from a census.gov domain or be sent via text from 39242.

Your participation in both this survey and the 2020 Census is important. Completing the Household Pulse Survey does not replace your response to the 2020 Census.

*Respondents may Reply “Stop” to opt out of receiving text messages.

The U.S. Census Bureau is required by law to protect your information. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify you. We are conducting this voluntary survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Sections 8(b), 182 and 196 to study the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Federal law protects your privacy and keeps your answers confidential (Title 13, United States Code, Section 9). Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data. 

Your privacy is protected by the Privacy Act (Title 5, U.S. Code, Section 552a).  Routine uses of these data are limited to those identified in the Privacy Act System of Record Notice titled, “SORN COMMERCE/Census-3, Demographic Survey Collection (Census Bureau Sampling Frame).” The Census Bureau can use your responses only to produce statistics, and is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify you.

This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This eight-digit OMB approval number, 0607-1013, confirms this approval and expires on 10/31/2023. We are required to display this number to conduct this survey.

We estimate that completing this survey will take 20 minutes on average. Send comments regarding this estimate or any other aspect of this survey, including suggestions for reducing the time it takes to complete this survey to adrm.pra@census.gov.

The Census Bureau is the designated federal statistical agency conducting this survey. The Household Pulse Survey was designed in collaboration with the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS); the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS); the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); the Social Security Administration (SSA); and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

All information that you provide is used only to create accurate, relevant statistics about the nation’s people, places, and economy. These statistics help inform officials and policymakers about communities and individuals across the United States impacted by the pandemic.