Last week, U.S. Census Bureau staff presented to the National Advisory Committee (NAC) and gave an update on how we plan to efficiently and effectively reach hard-to-count communities across the country to ensure we have the most accurate count during the 2020 Census.
The chart below provides a quick summary of the way we think about hard-to-count populations. These can include those who are hard to locate, like households that may not appear on our address list or people who may want to remain hidden. Some populations are hard to contact because they are highly mobile, experiencing homelessness or living in gated communities. Hard-to-count populations can be those that are hard to persuade because they lack trust in the government and the way their data will be used. They can also be hard to interview because of language barriers or low internet access. Many people fall under more than one of these designations, which is why we are implementing the most robust outreach effort in the history of the Census Bureau.
Hard-to-count populations can fall into many categories. These include:
Conducted in a rapidly changing environment, the 2020 Census requires constant enhancement on our part to do our best to perfect the process. It is more difficult and expensive to count our population, which is why we also work extensively with trusted community leaders to help us understand what makes it difficult for people to respond, and to determine who can help us reach everyone. The 2020 Census belongs to everyone and we need the public’s help to be successful. Together, we can overcome language barriers, distrust in government, as well as fear and lack of knowledge about the census and how it benefits your community.
As an integral component to the 2020 Census Operational Plan our Integrated Partnership and Communications (IPC) Operation will reach every household in the nation. As important as the IPC is to our efforts to count the entire population, it is only one in a series of steps we take to make sure we are reaching everyone.
Understanding the communities who have traditionally had low response rates is critical for the success of the 2020 Census, and these are just a few of the ways we account for the different ways people live in our country and respond to the census. Reaching the hard-to-count is woven into the entire design of the 2020 Census. Our partners and local leaders are key and by working with them, we will do everything we can to count everyone once, only once and in the right place.
To view the full presentation and other presentations from the 2018 Fall NAC meeting, click here.