The importance of Census 2020

How important is it to complete your 2020 Census? It is very important for our community and South Central area. The 2020 Census provides a snapshot of our community and our nation—who we are, where we live, and so much more. The U.S. Constitution mandates that the country count its population once every 10 years. The results are used to adjust or redraw electoral districts, based on where populations have increased or decreased. The 2020 Census specifically effects redistricting, federal funding, business decisions, impacts your community and shapes your future.

The results of this “once-a-decade” count affect redistricting by determining the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. They are also used to draw congressional and state legislative districts. State legislatures or independent bipartisan commissions are responsible for redrawing congressional districts. The U.S. Census Bureau provides states with population counts for this purpose of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

Over the next decade, the Census will be critical to business decisions involving business owners and existing businesses, which affects our area communities and surrounding counties. The 2020 Census will be valuable to businesses, as the results will provide a rich set of data on the communities they serve, including population trends and growth projections. Business owners rely on census results to make decisions, such as where to open new stores, restaurants, factories, or offices, where to expand operations, where to recruit employees, and which products and services to offer.

The Census 2020 results help shape your future for all federal funding purposes in determination how allocations of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow to communities across the country—every year and for the next ten years for hospitals, fire departments, school lunch programs, and other critical programs and services. The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children. The results will also inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services.

The 2020 Census Data matters as it affects many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location. For our local area, think of the Census in everyday life ---such as in “your morning commute.” The Census results influence highway planning and construction, as well as grants for other transportation and public transit systems. For local schools, the 2020 Census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start program and for grants that support teachers and special education. The list goes on, including programs to support rural areas, to restore wildlife, to prevent child abuse, to prepare for wildfires, and to provide housing assistance for older adults.

The completion of the Census 2020 Data is imperative to future success of Lewis County and the South Central area! Complete your Census 2020 today! If you need assistance, TCAT Hohenwald is hosting a Census 2020 Drive Thru on Thursday, June 11, 2020 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.