Alexandria Prepares For 2020 Census: Timeline To Know

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The City of Alexandria has issued guidance for residents to prepare for the 2020 U.S. Census, a count of the country's population. The Census determines representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as federal funding allocated to state and local governments.

A Census response for your household is required by law. For households that don't respond, the U.S. Census Bureau will follow up in person to collect your response. The Census says each person not counted in the Census reflects a loss of $1,200 in federal funding for a community each year.

All residential addresses are expected to receive mail about participation in the U.S. Census between March 12 and 20. Residents can complete the Census online, by phone or by mail.

Census Day is April 1, 2020. A household that has not completed the Census by this date will receive a reminder. In this case, residents would receive a paper questionnaire around April 8 to 16, and Census takers would follow up between April 20 and July 31 with households that didn't respond.

The U.S. Census Bureau will announce the counts to the president and Congress in December. By March 31, 2021, redistricting counts will be sent to states for the purpose of redrawing legislative districts.

The Census will ask:

• How many people are living or staying in your home on April 1, 2020
• Whether the home is owned or rented
• Each person's sex
• Each person's age
• Each person's race
• Whether each person is of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin
• The relationship of each person to the householder

The Census Bureau cannot share Census responses with anyone, including courts of law, the FBI, CIA, IRS, state or federal welfare departments, or governments and programs. The bureau uses individual responses for summary statistics.

The City of Alexandria has a Complete Count Committee to encourage residents to participate in the Census. The committee will focus on groups that have been historically undercounted. According to the city, these include racial and ethnic minority groups, renters, children under the age of 5, and communities in Arlandria and the West End.

Residents can volunteer to help with the Complete Count Committee, while the U.S. Census Bureau is hiring Census takers with $25 hourly pay. Apply at 2020census.gov/en/jobs.

For more about the 2020 Census for Alexandria residents, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Census2020.