Census 2020

Mayor West signed a proclamation on October 22nd, 2019, to commit to partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to help ensure a complete and accurate count in 2020.  As mandated by the United States Constitution, the U.S. Census is conducted every 10 years.  April 1, 2020 is Census Day although the Census forms open in March and will be complete in the Summer of 2020.  Participation in the U.S. Census is important. The  U.S. Census determines the apportionment of federal representatives and federal funds and grants to states, counties, and communities.  Census 2020 will be the first time forms can be submitted electronically, allowing for easier participation.  A report for Virginia details the programs and amount of money allocated from the 2010 Census.  Additionally, the Chesapeake Complete Count Committee created a pamphlet with examples of local programs using Census apportioned funds.  It is estimated the City loses $2000 per person per year for every resident that does not fill out their census form.  That can total $20,000 per person over the ten years between each Census.  Your responses to the 2020 Census are safe, secure, and protected by federal law (En español).  Your answers can only be used to produce statistics—they cannot be used against you in any way.  By law, all responses to U.S. Census Bureau household and business surveys are kept completely confidential.  See the Chesapeake Census 2020 information sheet (En español) for important points regarding the upcoming Census, a SAMPLE Census questionnaire, and this news story by WCTV on Chesapeake's Census preparations.

Count everyone once, only once, and in the right place.  Chesapeake Counts!   

Outreach Materials

Census Timeline

August 2020  - Address Canvassing
From August through October 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will deploy Census Address Canvassers, also known as Listers, to work in several neighborhoods in Chesapeake.  These employees will knock on doors and request verification of physical address and if there are additional living quarters on the property.  Census Bureau employees should introduce themselves and show their official government ID badge, plus explain the purpose of their visit.  This map will be updated with the location of canvassers.  A video and press release by the Census Bureau details these efforts.  For questions regarding Census Canvassers, the regional census center in Philadelphia can be contacted at 267-780-2530 or emailed at Philadelphia.rcc.partnership@2020census.gov.  

Complete Count Committee

Mayor West has appointed a Chesapeake Census 2020 Complete Count Committee (CCC).  The committee will assist with education and promotion of the upcoming Census to ensure participation from all people living in the City of Chesapeake.  View the upcoming full Complete Count Committee agenda.  Contact the Planning Department at (757) 382-6176 if you have a meeting or event and would like a representative to discuss the 2020 Census facts.  Upcoming subcommittee agendas for Education, Government/Media, and Community Outreach.

For more information on the Virginia Complete Count Commission visit their website.

Employment Opportunities

The Census Bureau is hiring in Chesapeake and will be adding more positions over the upcoming year for all levels, training provided.  Jobs are listed by state on www.census.gov/jobs (En español).  Go to the United States Census Bureau's website at 2020census.gov (En español) for the latest information regarding Census 2020 preparations.  The Virginian-Pilot published an article on October 15th, 2019, highlighting the 2,000 - 3,000 jobs being created by the U.S. Census Bureau in Hampton Roads. 

School Involvement

The once-a-decade population count serves as the basis for distributing federal assistance to schools and educational institutions, including Title I aid, the National School Lunch Program, and special education grants to states.  Join us to spread the word about the importance of the 2020 Census and help ensure that your students, educators, and community members receive the resources they need.  Learn how you can become a partner and incorporate census related activities in your school. 

Faith Based Organizations

The U.S. Census Bureau partners with the faith community to get the word out about the importance of the count.  Faith leaders are trusted voices in their communities.  You know how to reach your congregation and members; hard-to-count families, individuals and children; other national and local leaders; and key stakeholders.  By being a 2020 Census partner, you can inspire your community to support a complete and accurate count.  Learn how to get your church or organization involved (En español) with educating the community on the importance of responding to the 2020 Census.

Census 2020 Preparations

From the April 1, 2019 Census Bureau Press Briefing providing an operational update one year from official Census Day:  “The Constitution requires that each decade, we take a census of the population to determine the number of seats each state will be allocated in the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Census Bureau Director Dr. Steven Dillingham.

“To meet that requirement, we go to extraordinary lengths to ensure we count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. We know that the 2020 Census is important to every community. Census data guide how federal, state and local funding for critical services such as schools, fire departments and health care facilities is distributed.” 

Dillingham and Albert E. Fontenot Jr., the associate director for Decennial Census Programs, described how preparations for 2020 Census operations are on track and on budget

"In 2020, all households will have the option to respond to the census online, over the phone and by mail,” Fontenot explained. “We have successfully completed numerous tests to validate our systems and operations to support these innovations, while ensuring that respondent data remain confidential, and we are ready to conduct the most technologically advanced and accurate decennial census in our nation’s history."

What is American Community Survey? 

After the 2000 Census, the American Community Survey (ACS) was created.  The questions formerly asked on the Decennial Census were divided between a  “short” and “long” form.  The U.S. Census, conducted every 10 years, became the short form while the American Community Survey is now composed of short and long form questions.   The U.S. Census is distributed to every household in the United States.  It typically consists of basic questions related to age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, household relationships, and owner/renter status.  However, the American Community Survey collects more detailed information that not only includes basic short-form questions, but also comprehensive questions about population and housing characteristics.  The ACS is compiled every year from a random sampling of 295,000 addresses a month across the United States.  The U.S. Census Bureau will notify ACS participants by mail and include instructions for completing the survey online or by paper.  Some households may receive both the ACS and the Census 2020 survey.  Households should complete both surveys.

For more information on the American Community Survey (ACS), please see the following links:

• American Community Survey and the 2020 Census FAQ
• American Community Survey Information Guide (pdf)