Hey Snoqualmie Valley – it’s Census Time. Home with a little extra time on your hands? Filling out the 2020 census takes only a few minutes.
Check that stack of mail on your counter or desk. Find your census letter(s) that contain your home’s personal ID. Hit www.my2020census.gov and you’re off and running.
The census is critical for your state, city or town. It helps determine everything from federal representation – to school board representation – to transportation funding.
Here is some helpful information from the City of Snoqualmie about the far-reaching impact of the census.
Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau takes on the monumental task of counting all people residing in the United States. On a local level, this count impacts fund allocation for community public resources over the next decade, along with representation in state and federal government.
Infrastructure is one of the main ways Snoqualmie Valley cities are impacted by the census. When residents respond, it helps the community obtain its fair share of the more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on roads, influencing both highway planning and construction.
The census also assists in planning community structures such as schools and hospitals. Census results help determine how money is allocated for programs such as Head Start, along with grants supporting teachers and special education. Other programs impacted by census data include those that support rural areas, prevent child abuse, and provide housing assistance for older adults.
Census data also influences public safety and emergency preparedness needs. Statistics from the 2020 Census will provide baseline numbers not only for federal disaster relief, but also for preparation and rescue coordination, including preparing for wildfires. This can lead to more effective emergency response times and rescue operations, along with fund allocation for rebuilding.
The results of this once-per-decade count influence residents’ representation. Data from the census helps determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives, and is used to draw U.S. congressional and state legislative districts based on where populations have increased or decreased.
Filling out the census is secure and only used to produce statistics; personal information is kept confidential and not shared with other government agencies. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release responses in any way that could identify a respondent or anyone else in their home.
Comments
As the Living Snoqualmie article above state this is very important to the small cites for Federal Funding as a base line for the next 10 years. If you Lost or tossed out the card/letter out as junk mail or did not receive a letter, like me — you can still complete the survey online at Census 2020. The first box to click on is Start Questionnaire — the next page has a Log In 12 Digit Census ID (from card/letter) Box — under this box is a “Link” — If You Do Not Have a Census ID, click here.. You can now complete the Census by your ADDRESS. It is very short — less than a minute to answer the few questions. The Census is very important as the article describes.