Ensure Your
Community Counts

If 1% of the Kansas population is uncounted in the 2020 Census, the state of Kansas could miss receiving approximately $603,990,400 in federal funding over a 10-year period. Ensure you count, ensure your community counts, and ensure Kansas Counts by participating in the 2020 Census!

Why Kansas 2020 Census Participation Matters

Participation in the 2020 Census ensures your community is represented fairly and receives their share in the distribution of more than $6 billion in federal funds to Kansas annually. Every 10 years, results from the U.S. Census are used to reapportion congressional seats. The 2020 Census will determine how many congressional seats the state of Kansas will hold for the next decade. When it comes to federal funding, participation in the U.S. Census ensures your community benefits from your hard-earned tax dollars. That could mean more funding for our schools, roads and highways, public health, affordable housing programs, and so much more.

What is the census?

The U.S. Census is required by law (U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2) and has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. The 2020 Census will count every person living in the United States and fiveU.S. territories—once, only once, and in the right place.

Taking the 2020 Census

By April 1, 2020, households will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Every household will have the opportunity to respond online, by phone or by mail. Census forms will be available in 13 languages. Video and print guides will be available in 59 non-English languages, as well as American Sign Language, braille, and large print.

Complete Count
Committees

Right now, cities, counties, and communities should be working to form a Complete Count Committee (CCC). A CCC is a volunteer committee comprised of trusted voices from the community to increase awareness about the 2020 Census and motivate their residents to respond. We have created a Local Action Guide for you to use to help in setting up your committee and starting to think about how to prepare for the 2020 Census.

The U.S. Census is Confidential and Required by Law

All responses to Census Bureau surveys are confidential and protected (Title 13 of the U.S. Code).
Under law, the Census Bureau is required to keep respondent information confidential and will
never share a respondent’s personal information. Individual records from the decennial censuses
are, by law (Title 44, U.S. Code), confidential for 72 years.

Quick Facts About the U.S. Census

  • Population numbers derived from the decennial census are used to distribute over $6 billion in federal funds to Kansas every year.
  • Every uncounted person costs the state of Kansas approximately $2,082 in federal funding.
  • Census data is used to determine federal, state and local voting districts.
  • Government, businesses and other stakeholders use census data for infrastructure and transportation planning; emergency preparedness, disaster relief, education funding, health tracking and disease control, and a multitude of other things.
  • Businesses and government agencies consider population trends when choosing places to locate, which in turn boosts economic growth.
  • As the census is only a once-every-10-years process, it is crucial to get the count right. If Kansas is under counted we will be shortchanged for a decade.