Every 10 years, everyone in the country is counted in the national census. And when we say everyone, we mean everyone. All residents of every ethnicity, regardless of immigration status, including kids, seniors, military members, and people experiencing homelessness.
As of September 17, Washington state has a self-response rate of 71.8%. Island County has a self-response rate of 69.2%. We have more to go.
When we all complete the 2020 Census, we show our community’s strength. A fair and accurate count of people will help the government determine how more than $675 billion in annual federal dollars are distributed. That’s funding for things like our schools, affordable housing, hospitals and health care, emergency services, and public transit.
As we grapple with the impacts of COVID-19 and massive wildfires, we are reminded of how important it is to understand the needs of those in our community. Census statistics are a critical way for us to know what resources our community may need in urgent times.
So, while we are staying indoors and protecting the health and safety of our community today, we encourage you to complete the census, and protect the health and safety of our community for the next 10 years, too.
Remember, it is your right to complete the census, and it is illegal for the Census Bureau to share your information with anyone, including ICE and law enforcement, public assistance programs, and other agencies. All answers are kept confidential and used only to produce statistics. There is no citizenship question.
This is our moment to join together—as a neighborhood, a city, a county, a state, and a country—and make sure each and every one of us counts. We are all a part of this community and we all count. Complete your census, today. Visit https://my2020census.gov/ or call 1-844-330-2020.