Respond When You Receive
Your 2020 Census Invitation
If your area hasn’t received census materials yet, we will deliver
them soon. Please respond when you receive yours.
Why haven’t I received a census
invitation yet?
Census workers drop off census materials
to some communities that don’t generally
receive mail at their home using a city-style
address like “101 Main Street.” COVID-19
delayed delivery to some communities.
What areas are affected?
Census workers will deliver census materials
soon to areas that:
• Have homes without city-style addresses.
• Have city-style addresses for emergency
services, but they are not used for mail.
• Receive mail at PO Boxes.
• Have had homes or mail delivery significantly
affected by major disasters (for
example, parts of California affected by
recent wildfires).
• Have high concentrations of seasonally
vacant housing.
• Have a mixture of the above examples.
Can I respond now?
Please wait to respond until you receive your
census materials.
Connect with us
@uscensusbureau
For more information:
2020CENSUS.GOV
In your area, the best way to respond is with
the unique Census ID we provide. When you
receive your materials, you can choose to:
• Complete and mail back the enclosed
paper questionnaire.
• Call to respond using your Census ID.
• Respond online using your Census ID.
What if I’ve already responded?
We’re working to match the address you provided
to our address list, but we may need to
visit you later.
If we can’t match your address, census takers
may visit to verify the address you provided
and may visit to collect your responses
in person. We want to ensure we count
everyone.
Will I have time to respond before the
census ends?
We’ve extended the deadline to respond.
Census workers will drop off census materials
soon, and you’ll have plenty of time to
respond with your Census ID.
If you don’t respond when you receive your
Census ID, a census taker will visit later to
collect your responses in person.
Why can’t you mail me the census
information?
The census counts people where they live.
Many households in your area don’t receive
mail at their home’s physical location.
To make sure we reach everyone, census
workers will:
• Canvass the area for places people
might live.
• Use a laptop to update our address list.
• Link a census questionnaire to your
home’s physical location and leave it at
your front door.
Why can’t I respond now without my
Census ID?
Responding with your Census ID ensures you
are counted in the right place.
For 95 percent of the country, we can link
responses to the right place by using a
mailing address. This doesn’t work in some
communities. For example:
• If the post office delivers your mail to a PO
Box, we can’t count you at the post office
or follow up with you there if you don’t
respond.
• Rural route addresses (e.g., RR5, Box 9)
may represent a mailbox along a roadside,
not necessarily your home’s location,
making it harder to count you in the right
place.
How can I track my community’s
response?
View our interactive 2020 Census Response
Rate map at .
When will you drop off the materials?
The Census Bureau is resuming dropping off
materials on a phased schedule across the
country. This effort does not require interaction
with households, and census workers will
follow the most current federal, state, and
local guidance.
Find the latest updates at http://<https://2020census.gov/en/news-events /operational-adjustments-covid-19.html>.