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2026 National Population Count · Live

Your community,
counted & heard.

Your data shapes every road, school, and hospital built next.

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Households Enumerated

Updating live
0

Surveys Completed (Q1)

This quarter
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Days to Registration Deadline

March 31, 2026
Do I have to participate?When will enumerators visit?How is my data protected?Register for a Briefing
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Spoke 01 — Participation

Do I have to participate?

Short answer: yes. Here is everything the law says, what you will be asked, and exactly why it matters for your neighborhood.

Legal Mandate

13 U.S.C. § 221

Under Title 13, U.S. Code, participation in the decennial census is mandatory. Failure to respond may result in a fine of up to $100.

Who Must Respond

All Residents

Every person residing in the United States on April 1, 2026 (Census Day) must be counted — citizens, non-citizens, and permanent residents alike.

What Is Asked

10 Questions

Questions cover name, age, sex, race, ethnicity, household relationship, and housing tenure. No immigration status or citizenship question is included.

Why It Matters

$2.8T Federal Funds

Census data determines Congressional representation and the allocation of $2.8 trillion in federal funding annually for schools, hospitals, roads, and emergency services.

Active Survey Zones

Current enumeration activity across your region

3 Zones Active
NE-07 · 78%SW-12 · 62%SE-14 · 45%ES-09 · Done
ILLUSTRATIVE MAP · Q1 2026
NE-07active

Northeast District 7

78%
SW-12active

Southwest Corridor 12

62%
CN-03upcoming

Central Ward 3

ES-09complete

East Side Zone 9

100%
NW-05upcoming

Northwest Precinct 5

SE-14active

Southeast Block 14

45%
Spoke 02 — Schedule

When will enumerators visit my area?

The census runs in five phases. Here is the exact calendar, what happens at each stage, and how to ensure no one knocks on your door.

Address Canvassing

Jan 15 – Feb 28, 2026
complete

Field staff verify and update the Master Address File. No resident contact required at this stage.

  • Updates ~145 million addresses
  • No door-knock at this stage
  • Uses aerial imagery + in-field verification
02

Initial Questionnaire Mailing

Mar 1 – Mar 20, 2026
active

Paper and online questionnaire invitations mailed to every known household. You can respond online at census.gov.

  • Online response available 24/7
  • Paper form included for accessibility
  • Estimated 15 minutes to complete
03

Reminder Mailings

Mar 21 – Apr 10, 2026
upcoming

Households that haven't responded receive up to 3 reminder notices. The final notice includes another paper form.

  • Up to 3 reminder contacts
  • Final reminder includes paper form
  • Online portal remains open
04

Non-Response Followup

May 1 – Jul 31, 2026
upcoming

Enumerators visit households that haven't responded by mail or online. This is when you'll see the official knock.

  • Enumerators carry official ID badges
  • Visits between 9 AM – 9 PM local time
  • Up to 6 contact attempts per household
05

Data Processing & Release

Aug – Dec 2026
upcoming

Collected data is processed, verified, and released. Apportionment counts delivered to the President by December 31.

  • Apportionment counts by Dec 31, 2026
  • Redistricting data by Apr 1, 2027
  • Public microdata tables released 2027

Skip the knock

Complete your questionnaire online before April 10, 2026 and your address is removed from the non-response followup list. No enumerator visit needed.

Respond Online Now

Enumerator Visit FAQ

All Census Bureau enumerators carry a valid photo ID badge with the U.S. Department of Commerce seal, their name, and a supervisor contact number. They will never ask for Social Security numbers, bank information, or payment.

Enumerators are trained to call between 9 AM and 9 PM in your local time zone. They make up to 6 attempts at different times of day and days of the week before marking a household as non-contact.

Yes. If you complete your questionnaire online or by mail before Phase 4 begins, no enumerator will visit your address. The online portal at census.gov is open until July 31, 2026.

Spoke 03 — Privacy

How is my data protected?

The Census Bureau has protected individual data for over 130 years without a single breach. Here is the legal architecture that makes that possible.

Zero Breaches

130+ years of census operations. Individual records have never been disclosed to any outside party.

Est. 1902 · U.S. Census Bureau
🔒
Title 13 Seal

72-year lockdown on individual records

⚖️
Criminal Penalties

$250k fine / 5 years for unauthorized disclosure

🏛️
No Agency Sharing

Zero data shared with FBI, ICE, or any law enforcement

🔐
256-bit Encryption

Bank-grade TLS on all online submissions

Under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, your individual census responses are strictly confidential. Only sworn Census Bureau employees can access your data, and they face criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and/or 5 years in prison for unauthorized disclosure.

13 U.S.C. § 9, § 214

No. Title 13 prohibits sharing individual census data with any government agency, including the FBI, DHS, ICE, or state and local police. This protection has been upheld by the Supreme Court and has never been violated in the Bureau's history.

Dept. of Commerce v. New York, 2019

Individual census records are sealed for 72 years from the date of collection. After that period, records are transferred to the National Archives and made available for genealogical and historical research.

44 U.S.C. § 2108

The census.gov online response portal uses 256-bit TLS encryption, the same standard used by major banks. Your session is not stored, and no cookies link your response to your IP address after submission.

NIST SP 800-52 Rev. 2

Only aggregated statistical tables are published — never individual records. The Bureau applies differential privacy techniques that add controlled statistical noise to all published tables to prevent re-identification of individuals.

OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 1

For Researchers

Microdata tables and Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files are available through the Census Bureau API with no individual identifiers. Access documentation at data.census.gov.

Spoke 04 — Register

Register for the Next Census Briefing

Join a live briefing led by regional Census Bureau coordinators. Get your questions answered, learn your district's schedule, and walk away with the exact steps to complete your household count.

Briefing Registration Form

Your registration information is collected solely to send briefing details and is never shared with third parties. It is not linked to your census responses.

Download Survey Schedule

PDF · 2026 Collection Calendar

Upcoming Sessions

March 4, 2026

10:00 AM EST (Virtual)

Next Up

March 11, 2026

2:00 PM EST (Virtual)

Open

March 18, 2026

6:00 PM EST (Virtual)

Open

March 25, 2026

10:00 AM EST (In-Person, DC)

Open

Need Help?

Call the Census Bureau helpline at 1-844-472-7020 (Mon–Fri, 8 AM–10 PM ET)

Next briefing: March 4 · 10:00 AM EST

Limited spots available — virtual & in-person options

Register for the Next Census Briefing