The CQR Participant Guides provide instructions on how to prepare and submit a case. They detail the files and documentation you must submit as well as formatting requirements. 

Please select the guide that matches the method you will use to submit your case: digital/paper or using GUPS. Unless you are using GUPS, please refer to the digital/paper guide.

The Frequently Asked Questions provide further guidance about submission requirements.

Governmental units are encouraged to submit cases digitally.

For information about paper submissions, please consult the Participant Guides or contact us at 1-888-369-3617 or dcmd.2020.cqr.submissions@census.gov.

There are three digital methods for preparing a CQR case. Once ready, submit your case using the Secure Web Incoming Module (SWIM). 

1. The Census Bureau offers 2020 Census Block Maps in Adobe Portable Document File (PDF) format displaying the legal boundaries in effect as of January 1, 2020, for each governmental unit, as well as the 2020 census tracts and 2020 census tabulation blocks.
2. The Geographic Update Partnership Software (GUPS) is a free, customized geographic information system (GIS) software tool made available by the Census Bureau. It specifically designed for governmental units without geographic training or who are not experienced GIS users, but it can be used by anyone preparing a CQR case. You can download the CQR GUPS from the “GUPS” section below. 
3. Experienced GIS users can utilize their own GIS software. The Census Bureau provides the Partnership shapefiles needed, and the Participant Guide outlines how to use them. Governmental units can use the Partnership shapefiles as they review the 2020 Census results and prepare their CQR case.

Refer to the Participant Guides for complete instructions.

Once a governmental unit initiates a CQR request, all required documentation must be submitted successfully within 90 days. To be successful, documentation must be complete and meet formatting requirements. These requirements are found in the Participant Guide and the CQR Frequently Asked Questions.

Please note that all supporting documentation must include a message from the highest elected official about the CQR case. In their message they may choose to designate another person as the CQR contact for the case.

January 3, 2022: Governmental units can begin submitting CQR cases for review

June 30, 2023: Deadline for governmental units to submit all documentation for a CQR case

September 30, 2023: Deadline for the Census Bureau to inform all impacted governmental units of results

View the count of housing units and group quarters by 2020 census tabulation block on an interactive map.

These files are to be used for housing count cases. CQR Block Count List Files are state-based files that provide separate housing counts for housing units and group quarters by 2020 census tabulation block. These files are available for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Governmental units submitting a housing count case must provide an updated count of housing units and/or group quarters by 2020 census tabulation block.

They can use the CQR Block Count List Files to review the 2020 Census results and provide updated housing counts.

The files are available as comma separated values (.csv) files and Microsoft Excel workbook (.xlsx) files. The .csv files are for use in a geographic information system (GIS) and in GUPS.

Refer to the Participant Guides for instructions. 

The CQR Address List Template File is a blank spreadsheet to be used only by non-GUPS participants submitting a boundary case.

Governmental units submitting a boundary case are required to provide an address list with specific fields of information. They can use the CQR Address List Template File to provide their individual, residential addresses for the 2020 census tabulation blocks affected by the boundary correction.

This file is available as comma separated values (.csv) file (i.e., comma-delimited text file), for use in a GIS and as a Microsoft Excel workbook (.xls) file. The file contains the necessary header row with 25 fields of information and a preset format to preserve all fields as Text.

Refer to the Participant Guides for instructions.

The 2020 Census Block Maps are for governmental units that are not using a GIS or GUPS to submit a CQR case. They will use these maps to determine whether submitting a boundary case for review is necessary.

If filing a boundary case, governmental units may use them to show their boundary correction and individual map spots for addresses affected by the boundary correction.

If filing a housing count case, maps are not required.

The 2020 Census Block Maps are governmental unit-based maps produced to support the decennial census data release. They are large-scale, large format (i.e., 36”x32”) maps that show and label all 2020 census tabulation blocks within the governmental unit and the legal boundaries in effect as of January 1, 2020. They also show and label additional common map features.

These maps are Adobe PDFs and are available for online viewing and/or download from the link below. Refer to the Participant Guides for instructions.

The 2021 Partnership shapefiles are extracts of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) System.

These shapefiles are used as a reference for the 2020 census tabulation blocks and the legal boundaries as of January 1, 2020, by governmental units that are using a GIS or GUPS to participate in 2020 Census CQR to determine if filing a case is necessary.

If filing a boundary case, governmental units may use them to show their boundary correction and individual map spots for addresses affected by the boundary correction. Maps are not required to accompany a housing count case.

Regardless of the year the governmental unit chooses to review the 2020 Census results and prepare a CQR case, the 2021 Partnership shapefiles (e.g., the PVS_20_v2 file naming convention) is the version of shapefiles required for 2020 Census CQR. Access these files at the link below.

Refer to the Participant Guides for instructions.

The CQR GUPS is a GIS software tool that uses spatial files and templates to allow you to submit CQR case data. It is an easy-to-use software designed to meet the needs of CQR participants without extensive GIS experience, and it is based on an open-source platform known as QGIS.

To prepare a CQR case using GUPS, download the GUPS software by selecting the "Download GUPS" link below. Please note, governmental units must install the version of GUPS available for download below. They cannot use an existing version they used for a previous census program.

The 2020 Census CQR Participant Guide (GUPS) includes details on how to use GUPS. Please make sure you are using the participant guide that specifies GUPS in the title.

1. Download GUPS to the computer by choosing the Download GUPS link.
2. Unzip the file and extract all contents of the unzipped package to a folder on the computer.
3. Double-click the SETUP-x.x.x batch file to start the installation.
4. The Welcome to the QGIS GUPS Setup Wizard screen will appear. Follow the instructions on the screen and select the Next button.
5. The License Agreement screen will appear. Review the License Agreement and select the I Agree button to continue.
6. The Choose Install Location screen will appear. Select the Next button to continue. For performance and stability, the Census Bureau recommends installation to the default folder (e.g., C:\QGIS344) even though the Browse button allows for a change to the installation folder.
7. The Choose Components screen will appear. The ‘☑QGIS’
   in the Select components to install section is checked and grayed out since it is the default. Choose the Install button to continue.
8. The software may take five to ten minutes to complete installation. When complete, select the Finish button on the Completing the QGIS 3.4.4 ‘Madeira’ Setup Wizard screen.
9. The GUPS Install Setup: Completed screen appears. Select the Close button.

The steps listed above are further detailed in Chapter 3 of the 2020 Census CQR Participant Guide (GUPS).