Everybody Counts
Do you ever get that feeling you are just another face in the crowd? It’s time to get over that.
On April 1, 2020, the United States will conduct its constitutionally mandated decennial (10 year) census to determine the current population of the United States. Why is this important? The census count will be used to determine – among other things – how seats within the U.S. House of Representatives are divided among states and how federal funds are dispersed to each state.
What’s at Stake Financially
It is easy to understand the importance of the census when you look at the financial figures. In fiscal year 2015, $1.45 billion in federal funds were allocated to programs in North Dakota based upon resident count from Census 2010 and subsequent annual population estimates. These programs include: Medicaid, highway construction, Head Start, Foster Care, SNAP, Low Income Energy Assistance, Special Education and other programs. That means approximately $19,100 in federal funds is missed per resident over ten years. Of all the statistics we live with, the census count is one of the longest-lasting as the census occurs only once every decennial.
Not counting everyone can cost North Dakota dearly:
Links and Resources
- Read The 2020 Census at a Glance
- Follow the U.S. Census Bureau: How to Support the 2020 Census
- Review the Census 2020 Planning Documents
- Learn about the Census Statistics in Schools Program
- Counting for Dollars, North Dakota
- Federal Funding for Rural America
- 2020 Census New Construction Program
- Peruse Outreach Materials