On August 26, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2020 Census Toolkit for State and Local Officials. The toolkit provides local leaders with resources to help increase response rates to the Census, create public advertising campaigns, access “hard to count” communities and respond to constituent inquiries.

With $900 billion in annual federal funding directed by decennial census results, an accurate and complete count is crucial to ensure federal support for counties reflects each jurisdiction’s full population. Counties are encouraged to take steps to prepare for the Census by organizing outreach efforts and utilizing resources like the toolkit to ensure an accurate count.

NACo appreciates the Census Bureau’s efforts to coordinate with state and local officials and we will continue promoting public awareness about the 2020 Census.