Respond Now for the 2020 Census!
By April 1, every home in Estero should have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You have three options for responding:
- Online — 2020census.gov
- By phone — (470)889-6800
- By mail — use addressed envelope provided
Census results have an impact on planning and funding for health clinics and highways, fire departments and disaster response, education programs such as Head Start and college tuition assistance, and so much more. Your participation is important to the Village of Estero as some state revenue is associated with the population number determined by the census.
Shaping Your Future
The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. A complete and accurate count is critical for you and the Estero community, because the results of the 2020 Census will affect community funding, congressional representation and more.
The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The 2020 Census counts the population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers and many others use to provide daily services, products and support for you and our community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads and other resources based on census data.
The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
And it’s in the Constitution: Article 1, Section 2, mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the U.S. has counted its population since 1790.
Who To Count
If you are filling out the census for your home, you should count everyone who is living there as of April 1, 2020. This includes any friends or family members who are living and sleeping there most of the time. If someone is staying in your home on April 1, and has no usual home elsewhere, you should count them in your response to the 2020 Census. Please also be sure to count roommates, young children, newborns and anyone who is renting a space in your home.
How Can You Verify That Someone Is a Census Worker?
Census takers will visit homes in April to conduct quality check interviews, and then in mid-May to help collect responses. If someone visits your home to collect information for the 2020 Census, check to make sure that they have a valid ID badge, with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date. If you still have questions about their identity, you can contact your Regional Census Center to speak with a Census Bureau representative.
In May, census takers will begin visiting homes that haven’t responded to the census to help ensure everyone is counted. These census takers are there to help, and they are legally bound to protect your information.
The best way to avoid a visit from a census taker is to fill out the 2020 Census questionnaire online, by phone or by mail as soon as you receive your invitation to participate.
Still Have Questions?
For more information, visit the 2020 Census website at https://2020census.gov/ or contact the Regional Census Bureau in Atlanta, serving the southeastern U.S. including Florida, at 1-800-424-6974.