Sioux City Counts - 2020 Census Information
Jeremy McClure
2020 is a Census year! The U.S. Constitution requires EVERY person living in the U.S. on April 1 be counted in the Census. That means every person, regardless of age, race, English language ability, citizenship status, etc. be counted. The data collected this year is used to determine how much funding our community receives over the next 10 years.
Programs such as free and reduced lunch, rent supplements, Section 8 housing and voucher assistance, Medicare Part A, B, and D, SNAP, and low-income energy assistance programs depend on federal funding, as well as schools, roads, hospitals, emergency responders and many, many more. For every person NOT counted, dollars that can be used to benefit Sioux City residents will go to other states and other communities.
Completing the Census is safe, and no personal information is shared or stored by the Census. The information collected cannot be accessed by other branch of the government or other organizations, including law enforcement, for any use. Census employees sign a lifetime oath to maintain confidentiality, and it is taken very seriously. To breach that oath is a federal offense and is punishable by up to a $250,000 fine and 5 years in prison.
This is the first time the Census can be completed online. Most households will receive an ‘invitation’ to go online to complete the Census in mid-March. The online portal is safe to use, and the form should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. There will be several opportunities to fill out an online Census with the assistance of a trained employee, including a kiosk in the lobby of City Hall and the Sioux City Public Library starting in mid-March. You can also call a toll-free number to fill out your form by telephone. A mailed Census form will be delivered by the end of April if you have not yet completed your Census.
Please help your community by completing your Census. Our ability to provide much needed programs like those listed above depends on US! Visit 2020census.gov for more information.