Library Liaison
Key Dates
- March 12-20, 2020: An invitation to respond online to the 2020 census will be sent to all households. Some households will also receive paper questionnaires.
- March 16-24, 2020: A reminder letter will go out to remind people to fill out the census.
- March 26-April 3, 2020: If you haven't responded yet, you will receive a reminder postcard.
- April 2-June 5, 2020: Group Quarters (students in dorms) will be counted through Colgate. This requires no work on the students' part.
- April 8-16, 2020: A reminder letter and paper questionnaire will be sent out if you still haven't responded.
- April 20-27, 2020: A final reminder postcard will be sent before the Census Bureau will follow up in person.
- May 13, 2020: Non-response follow-up will start through the Census Bureau.
If you are a student living in the dorms, Colgate will fill the materials out on your behalf. You should not respond online or directly to the Census Bureau. If you rent or live off-campus, you will receive a mailing at your address.
Update March 16, 2020: From the Census Bureau, "Per the Census Bureau’s residence criteria, in most cases students living away from home at school should be counted at school, even if they are temporarily elsewhere due to the COVID-19 pandemic."
Resources
Facts You Should Know
- The Census will NOT ask about your citizenship.
- Federal laws protect your privacy and safety in participating in the Census.
- The law prevents the US Census Bureau from sharing personal responses with any other government agency, court of law, or private entity for any purpose, including law enforcement.
- The Census is used to determine political representation and federal funding. Not participating can have a negative impact on your community.
- The Census will not ask for your bank or credit card number, Social Security Number, payment or donation.
Census Statistics from previous years
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new windowCoverage: 1790–present. A premier U.S. demographics website with online tools to help users visually analyze and understand the demography of the United States through the use of interactive maps and data reports. Users will need to create local accounts to save work, share, or collaborate on projects.
- Data.Census.GovThe new Census data portal which replaces American Factfinder.
- American Community SurveyInformation about the American Community Survey (aka American Factfinder)
- U.S. Census data tables and mapping files(IPUMS) The National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) provides easy access to summary tables and time series of population, housing, agriculture, and economic data, along with GIS-compatible boundary files, for years from 1790 through the present and for all levels of U.S. census geography, including states, counties, tracts, and blocks.
- Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790 to 2000(PDF) Census Bureau publication
- Census Business Builder - Small Business EditionSmall Business Edition is built primarily for small business owners who need key data for their business plan or to better understand their potential market. It presents data for a single type of business and geography at a time.
- All Census Data ToolsThis page lists all data tools and apps provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Brief descriptions will help you decide which tool is right for you.
- TIGER/Line ShapefilesThe core TIGER/Line Files and Shapefiles do not include demographic data, but they do contain geographic entity codes (GEOIDs) that can be linked to the Census Bureau’s demographic data, available on data.census.gov.
- Geography Reference MapsCensus.gov maps that show the boundaries and names (or other identifiers) of geographic areas for which the Census Bureau tabulates statistical data.