Census 2020

What you need to know now that the 2020 Census count is over.

The 2020 Census is done

The federal government aimed to count every person living in the US from March to October 2020. People were able to respond online, by phone, or by mail. If people didn’t respond to the census on their own, census workers visited their house to help them get counted.

San Francisco organized a campaign to count everyone

The SF COUNTS campaign helped thousands of people in San Francisco do the census. Created and managed by the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA), SF COUNTS was a partnership of City Departments, community-based organizations, an arts-based coalition, and other local leaders.

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SF COUNTS reached over 800,000 San Francisco residents. The campaign organized: phone banking, texting, digital advertising, social media, and in-person census help efforts and more.

The Census Bureau released census results

The U.S. Census Bureau combines census self-response rates with other responses. For example, in-person interviews with census workers and administrative records. We will know San Francisco's census response after they do this. Population data for each state is delivered to the president. This information will determine how many representatives each state gets in Congress. 

After that, the U.S. Census Bureau shared population data for state and local governments. This data helped redraw voting and school districts. Census data also decides how much funding state and local governments receive. This funding is for: healthcare, education, food aid, housing programs, childcare, other social services, and more.

View 2020 Census results

Your census answers are protected by law

Your census answers are protected by law

The personal information you shared on the census form is confidential. According to federal law, the U.S. Census Bureau must protect your information. They can only use your anonymous information for statistical purposes. They cannot share your data with other government agencies or anyone else.

The next census will happen in 2030

The census count happens once every ten years, so we won’t have another one until 2030. But the U.S. Census Bureau conducts other surveys, like the American Community Survey and the American Housing Survey. 

We all count

The 2020 Census is over, but there are other ways to stay engaged. Stay connected with OCEIA’s work.

Last updated August 14, 2023