Help Make Des Moines Count in the 2020 Census

Schools. Health care. Public safety. Roads and bridges. The census can shape many different aspects of our community.

In the coming days and weeks, the 2020 census will begin in earnest, counting people from coast to coast. Des Moines Public Schools encourages everyone in our community to take seriously your responsibility and respond to the census.

Why does it matter?

  • Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year.
  • The results determine how many seats in Congress each state gets.
  • It’s mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2: The U.S. has counted its population every 10 years since 1790.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, BE SURE TO VISIT THE 2020 CENSUS WEB SITE.


KEY CENSUS DATES

  • March 12 – 20: Households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail.
  • March 30 – April 1: The Census Bureau will count people who are experiencing homelessness over these three days. As part of this process, the Census Bureau counts people in shelters, at soup kitchens and mobile food vans, on the streets, and at non-sheltered, outdoor locations such as tent encampments.
  • April 1: Census Day is observed nationwide. Once the invitation arrives, you should respond for your home in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. When you respond to the census, you’ll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020.
  • April: Census takers will begin visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers, and others who live among large groups of people. Census takers will also begin following up with households that have not yet responded in areas that include off-campus housing, where residents are not counted in groups.
  • May – July: Census takers will begin visiting homes that haven’t responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted.
  • December: The Census Bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the President and Congress as required by law.