What is a Census?
From a technical definition, a census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a population. You may ask, "What does that mean in the USA?"
What is a Census in the USA?
The Census is a count of the population in all 50 States, the Disctrict of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of he Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
The Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2.
The Census happens every 10 years. This is the 24th time it will be conducted.
The Census is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency.
Why is the Census important to South Carolina and YOU?
Each year, the Federal Government distributes approximately $675 billion (yes, billion) to the States.
South Carolina averages $7.1 billion in direct Federal aid to the State budget. That's approximately $1,468 per person. We can do better!
South Carolina also averages $59 billion in overall Federal aid. This includes Social Security, Disability, aid to Seniors and other categories.
Our population is estimated to have grown by 12% from the last Census in 2010. If we don't get everyone counted, precious resources will be stretched THIN!
The Census is used to determine distribution of federal resources to each state. Census data is also used to guide decision making for:
- Where schools, libraries, fire stations, and other public services are located
- Allocation of resources for Medicaid, SNAP, the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, Head Start, and Highway Planning and Construction for the State of South Carolina.
- How many seats are allocated to each state in the US House of Representatives. After the 2010 census, SC gained an additional seat to represent our growing population.
- Data collected during the decennial census is mandated to confidential protection for 72 years. This means data cannot be used to impact any federal benefits a person receives.
To view Lt. Governor Pamela Evette's ditital press conference takeaways and updates, Click Here.
Who counts?
If you are filling out the census for your home, you should count everyone who is living there as of April 1, 2020. This includes anyone who is living and sleeping there most of the time. If someone is staying in your home on April 1, and has no usual home elsewhere, you should count them in your response to the 2020 Census. Any child born by April 1, 2020 should be counted in the census.
How do I count?
By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding:
- Online.
- By phone.
- By mail.
How much do I matter?
We only get one chance every ten years to count each and every community member. If 100 people in your community aren’t counted, that represents more than $2.6M in federal resources that will be sent to other states instead of South Carolina over the course of the decade. We want everyone to count – one time – and in the right place!
About Us
The SC Grantmaker’s Network, in collaboration with the United Way Association of South Carolina and TogetherSC, has put together more than $400,000 in private resources to support efforts for a complete count in South Carolina for the 2020 Census. To date, the State of South Carolina has not invested in the decennial census.
How We Help
The UWASC offers the following resources to the community:
- Minigrants to support the execution of Community Action Plans targeting specific census tracts or hard to count populations.
- Support with training and facilitation to develop a Community Action Plan to engage specific census tracts or hard to count populations.
- Shared digital, print, and informational resources.