Census Bureau launches updated website ahead of 2020 population count

As Arkansas and federal officials gear up for the decennial population count, the U.S. Census Bureau has launched a new version of 2020census.gov, which adds new features, resources, and materials to help inform the public about the 2020 Census.

The site includes dozens of new Statistics in Schools materials, a new webpage to share facts about the 2020 Census, information on applying for jobs, and frequently asked questions (FAQs). The new Statistics in Schools material that teachers can use to incorporate Census Bureau statistics into subjects such as language arts, math and social studies will be released throughout the fall. It includes 67 classroom activities, updated classroom maps with census statistics, three videos for students in grades K-12, a singalong song, and a new activity book for children ages 2 to 5.

The “Fighting 2020 Census Rumors” page is designed to share the facts about the 2020 Census and fight misinformation surrounding the decennial census operations. Users can report false information to [email protected] or visit the webpage to learn 2020 Census facts.

In Arkansas, a coalition of nonprofits and community partners are also ramping up efforts to provide critical resources across the state to education Arkansas students and citizens about the 2020 census, which impacts Arkansas budgets for important programs like Medicaid, SNAP, highways and transportation, education & childcare programs, and affordable housing programs.

The group, known as Arkansas Count, has said that a one percent undercount of Arkansas in 2020 may result in up to nearly $1 billion in lost funds over a 10-year period. Also, Gov. Asa Hutchinson in late August issued an executive order establishing the Arkansas Census 2020 Complete Count Committee to promote statewide participation in the 2020 Census. The committee will consist of 30 volunteer members appointed by the governor from state, municipal, and county government, as well as citizen and private sector groups.

Other highlighted features of the new Census Bureau site include:

• Full site translation into Spanish
• Increase in mobile optimization
• Access to stories about the census called 2020: In Focus
• New information on the count of young children
• Updated resources and information for census partners that is filtered by language

Click here to learn more.