2020 Federal Census ready to launch this week

PASCO, Wash.-- Starting Thursday, March 12, 2020, residents in Oregon and Washington can expect to be contacted by official census takers for the 2020 Census.

The federal government is required by the Constitution to take a count of the country's population every ten years, and has done so ever since the birth of the nation.

"The government is most interested in with the census is how many people are there, and what are their ages," said LoAnn Ayers with the United Way in the Tri-Cities. "That helps them plan for services like education and health care.

During the last census, conducted in 2010… Benton County's population was under counted by about 26%, while Franklin County was under counted by more than 30%.

"That means for the last ten years, we've been getting less than our fair share of federal money," Ayers said. "We've been paying it in, but getting less."

For every person who answers the census, the county gets $2,300 in federal money per person per year for ten years. That money goes toward programs like Head Start, free and reduced lunch, medicaid, public transit, and roads and bridges.

Census takers will go door to door to try collecting census data. Ayers said those census takers will never go into your house, and they'll always have photo ID displayed on their badge.

"It's super important that if you go online to take the census, that you use the .gov-- 2020Census.gov. Don't google it-- you might get a .com or a .org where someone will try to steal your information."

You can also expect to get a postcard in the mail inviting you to take part in the census, and those will also only direct you to the .gov website. Those will be delivered starting March 12th.