March 10, 2020
Boulder County encourages participation in the 2020 Census
The Boulder County Commissioners proclaim the importance of the
2020 Census for local federal funding and representation. The census opens to the public to complete online beginning March 12.
Boulder County, Colo. -- Completing the 2020 Census helps ensure a fair and appropriate distribution of federal funding for programs that support public health, education, roads and transportation, child and elder care, food assistance, emergency preparedness, disaster response, and many other critical programs and services.
An accurate census is also required for the proper allocation of representatives with the legislative bodies of the U.S. House of Representatives and Colorado State Legislature and is used in the redistricting of state and county voting districts.
“Completing the Census is enormously important,” said Boulder County Commissioner Matt Jones. “We need everyone to be counted in order to provide critical housing and community services in Boulder County as well as to meet important infrastructure and future planning needs for our county.”
The 2020 Census, a once-a-decade population count, will be open to the public to self-report on Thursday, March 12, and will continue through mid-July. Completing the form usually takes only a few minutes and can be easily accessed at www.2020Census.gov beginning March 12.
“The sooner you go online and complete the census, the sooner they will stop mailing you notices or show up at your door,” added Commissioner Jones. “It only takes a few minutes for one member of the household to fill out the census for everyone living at that address.”
In a proclamation adopted March 10, the Board of County Commissioners pledged its support for the 2020 Census by providing:
- Dedicated funding and grants management for outreach and community engagement within hard-to-count communities;
- Access to public spaces and digital forums to communicate the benefits of participating in the Census to all county residents;
- County staff time and resources to engage with the community and encourage completion of the 2020 Census;
- Collaboration with the cities and towns within Boulder County to help fill gaps in staff and collateral resources.
To learn more about the 2020 Census visit: www.2020Census.gov or www.BoCo.org/Census.
(Information is available in English and Spanish. La información está disponible en inglés y en español.)
Did you know?
The U.S. Census brings money to Boulder County
In Boulder County we receive almost $2,300 per person per year in federal funding based on our Census count. For every person who is not counted, we lose about $23,000 over the next decade. If we miss 100 residents, Boulder county could lose almost $2.3 million in federal funding.
The Census determines how we are represented
Census results are used to determine how many seats states get in Congress; projections indicate that Colorado will likely gain a congressional seat as a result of the 2020 Census! State and local officials also use census counts to draw boundaries for congressional districts, state legislative districts, and school districts.
Responding is easier than ever
For the first time in history, it will be possible to respond to the Census via the internet. Phone responses and mailing in a paper form are still options too. Census forms are available in Spanish and several other languages. More information on ways you can respond is available on the U.S. Census web site.
Responding is safe
Your information is protected by law and confidentiality is guaranteed. Responses are only used to produce statistics; the Census Bureau does not disclose any personal information.