Des Moines Final Push To Count All Iowans Before Census Deadline

Press release from the City of Des Moines:

September 22, 2020

DES MOINES, IOWA — Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020 – The clock is ticking on the 2020 Census, and Iowa has some catching up to do. Figures show just over 94 percent of Iowa households have already responded to the 2020 Census, however, that’s below the national average of 95.4 percent and ranks Iowa at 37 among all 50 states.

“We still have one in 20 households unrecorded with one week to go,” said Alex Hassel, DSM Counts spokesperson. “The census helps cities measure their growth and plan for the future – that’s why it’s important we get everyone counted.”

The 2020 Census counts every person living in the United States and five U.S. territories. The census is conducted every 10 years by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. It aims to count each person only once and in the right place.

There are many ways that census data is used at every level of government. Every year, more than $676 billion is distributed to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and more. Census data is used to determine how much of these funds gets distributed to certain areas.

The deadline to response to the 2020 Census is Wednesday, Sept. 30. If you still need to be counted, visit 2020Census.gov and submit your response.

This press release was produced by the City of Des Moines. The views expressed here are the author’s own.