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2020 United States census facts for kids

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Twenty-fourth census of the United States
Seal of the United States Census Bureau.svg
Seal of the U.S. Census Bureau
US-Census-2020Logo.svg
General information
Country United States
Date taken April 1, 2020
Total population 331,449,281
Percent change Increase 7.4%
Most populous state California (39,538,223)
Least populous state Wyoming (576,851)

The United States census of 2020 was the 24th time the U.S. counted its population. This big count happens every ten years. The official day for the census was April 1, 2020. For the first time, people could answer the census questions online or by phone. Before this, everyone used paper forms.

The 2020 census happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This made it harder to complete the count. The census found that 331,449,281 people lived in the fifty states and District of Columbia. This was an increase of 7.4 percent from ten years before. It was also the first time that the 10 states with the most people each had over 10 million residents. Also, the 10 cities with the most people each had over 1 million residents.

Counting People: Why We Do It

2020 US Census Yard Sign
2020 U.S. census yard sign in Columbus, Ohio

The U.S. Constitution says that a census must be done every 10 years. This has happened since 1790. The last census before 2020 was in 2010.

Everyone in the U.S. who is 18 or older must answer the census questions. They must also answer truthfully. The information people share is kept private by the Census Bureau. It will not be shared with other government groups.

On April 1, 2020, about 329.5 million people were expected to be living in the United States. This number does not include people in U.S. territories or military members living abroad.

Changing House Seats

The results of the 2020 census help decide how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives. This also affects how many votes each state has in the Electoral College. These numbers are used for elections from 2022 to 2030.

2020 census reapportionment
How congressional districts were changed after the 2020 census.

On April 26, 2021, the Census Bureau shared the new numbers. Thirteen states had changes in their House seats:

Redrawing Maps

State and local leaders use census numbers to redraw boundaries. These boundaries are for things like congressional districts, state lawmaking districts, and school districts. This process is called redistricting.

Helping Communities with Money

Census data helps decide how over $675 billion in federal money is given to states and communities each year. This money is used for important things like roads, schools, hospitals, and emergency services.

How the Census Changed

The 2020 census was the first to let people answer online. It also used more technology instead of paper for fieldwork.

Here are some big changes:

  • How to Respond: People could answer online, by paper, or by phone. If you didn't answer online, you were sent a paper form.
  • Many Languages: You could complete the census online or by phone in 12 different languages. There were also guides and cards in 59 other languages.
  • Checking Addresses: In the past, census workers walked every street to check addresses. For 2020, they used satellite imagery and GPS to find areas where housing had changed. Workers only visited those specific areas.
  • Digital Tools: Census takers used special iPhone 8 smartphones. These phones helped them get daily tasks, find homes, talk to supervisors, and send in their work hours.
  • Smarter Follow-Up: The census used existing government information to find empty homes. It also helped predict the best time to visit a home. This made follow-up visits more efficient.

What Questions Were Asked?

2020 census questionnaire

The Census Bureau sent a list of questions to Congress. The law says the U.S. census will not share anyone's personal information with any government agency. This is to protect privacy.

Based on the questions, the 2020 census asked:

  • How many people live here? This helps count everyone once and in the right place.
  • Do you own or rent your home? This helps understand homeownership and renting trends. This information is used for housing programs and planning.
  • What is each person's sex? This helps plan and fund government programs and fight against unfair treatment.
  • What is each person's age? This helps understand different age groups. It helps plan programs for children and older people.
  • What is each person's race? This helps government groups make sure anti-discrimination laws are followed.
  • Is anyone of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin? This also helps government groups make sure anti-discrimination laws are followed.
  • How are people in the home related? This helps plan and fund programs for families, including single-parent homes.

Census Timeline

Annual population growth in the U.S. by county - 2010s
Average Annual Population Growth Rate in each county of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico between 2010 and 2020 according to the U.S. Census Bureau
  • January–March 2019: The Census Bureau opened 39 local offices.
  • June–September 2019: The remaining 209 local offices opened. These offices help manage the census takers.
  • August 2019: Census takers visited areas with new or lost homes to update address lists.
  • January 21, 2020: Counting began in remote Alaska. Toksook Bay was the first town counted.
  • April 1, 2020: Census Day! Homes received invitations to participate online, by mail, or by phone.
  • April 2020: Census takers started following up with homes near colleges.
  • May 2020: Follow-up visits for homes that hadn't responded began (this was delayed to August 11–October 31).
  • September 23–24: Officials counted people experiencing homelessness at shelters and other locations.
  • October 15: Self-response data collection ended.
  • October 16, 2020: The counting officially ended.
  • April 26, 2021: Population results for the country and each state were released.
  • August 12, 2021: The Census Bureau started releasing data by race, ethnicity, sex, and age. They also released numbers for counties, cities, and towns.

Getting the Word Out

Census buttons and stickers 20200131-9715

The 2020 census used many groups to help spread the word. These groups encouraged people to take part. Many local "complete count committees" worked to help.

The campaign's slogan was "Shape your future. START HERE." This message was chosen to encourage everyone to participate.

Flyers encouraging filling out the census hang at Sure We Can - Brooklyn, NY - 2020

Challenges Faced

A company that was supposed to print census forms went bankrupt. This caused problems.

The coronavirus pandemic also caused delays. It affected how census workers did their jobs. It also delayed counting people who were homeless or living in group homes.

COVID-19 and Census Operations

The U.S. Census Bureau had to stop some field operations because of COVID-19. This meant census workers couldn't go out and talk to people in person for a while. The agency also had to make changes at its call centers.

The Census Bureau worked to get personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks for its workers. They also tried to make sure workers could keep a safe distance from each other. The pandemic caused the Census Bureau to ask Congress for more time to finish the count. They wanted to extend the deadline for collecting data and delivering the final numbers.

Despite the challenges, the Census Bureau worked to restart operations safely. They started in different areas at different times, following health guidelines.

State Populations

United States Census 2020 Population Change by State
A map showing the population change of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico by percentage.
Population and population change in the United States by state
Rank State Population as of
2020 census
Population as of
2010 census
Change Percent
change
1  California 39,538,223 37,253,956 2,284,267 Increase 6.1% Increase
2  Texas 29,145,505 25,145,561 3,999,944 Increase 15.9% Increase
3  Florida 21,538,187 18,801,310 2,736,877 Increase 14.6% Increase
4  New York 20,201,249 19,378,102 823,147 Increase 4.3% Increase
5  Pennsylvania 13,002,700 12,702,379 300,321 Increase 2.4% Increase
6  Illinois 12,812,508 12,830,632 −18,124 Decrease −0.1%Decrease
7  Ohio 11,799,448 11,536,504 262,944 Increase 2.3% Increase
8  Georgia 10,711,908 9,687,653 1,024,255 Increase 10.6% Increase
9  North Carolina 10,439,388 9,535,483 903,905 Increase 9.5% Increase
10  Michigan 10,077,331 9,883,640 193,691 Increase 2.0% Increase
11  New Jersey 9,288,994 8,791,894 497,100 Increase 5.7% Increase
12  Virginia 8,631,393 8,001,024 630,369 Increase 7.9% Increase
13  Washington 7,705,281 6,724,540 980,741 Increase 14.6% Increase
14  Arizona 7,151,502 6,392,017 759,485 Increase 11.9% Increase
15  Massachusetts 7,029,917 6,547,629 482,288 Increase 7.4% Increase
16  Tennessee 6,910,840 6,346,105 564,735 Increase 8.9% Increase
17  Indiana 6,785,528 6,483,802 301,726 Increase 4.6% Increase
18  Maryland 6,177,224 5,773,552 403,672 Increase 7.0% Increase
19  Missouri 6,154,913 5,988,927 165,986 Increase 2.8% Increase
20  Wisconsin 5,893,718 5,686,986 206,732 Increase 3.6% Increase
21  Colorado 5,773,714 5,029,196 744,518 Increase 14.8% Increase
22  Minnesota 5,706,494 5,303,925 402,569 Increase 7.6% Increase
23  South Carolina 5,118,425 4,625,364 493,061 Increase 10.7% Increase
24  Alabama 5,024,279 4,779,736 244,543 Increase 5.1% Increase
25  Louisiana 4,657,757 4,533,372 124,385 Increase 2.7% Increase
26  Kentucky 4,505,836 4,339,367 166,469 Increase 3.8% Increase
27  Oregon 4,237,256 3,831,074 406,182 Increase 10.6% Increase
28  Oklahoma 3,959,353 3,751,351 208,002 Increase 5.5% Increase
29  Connecticut 3,605,944 3,574,097 31,847 Increase 0.9% Increase
30  Utah 3,271,616 2,763,885 507,731 Increase 18.4% Increase
31  Iowa 3,190,369 3,046,355 144,014 Increase 4.7% Increase
32  Nevada 3,104,614 2,700,551 404,063 Increase 15.0% Increase
33  Arkansas 3,011,524 2,915,918 95,606 Increase 3.3% Increase
34  Mississippi 2,961,279 2,967,297 −6,018 Decrease −0.2% Decrease
35  Kansas 2,937,880 2,853,118 84,762 Increase 3.0% Increase
36  New Mexico 2,117,522 2,059,179 58,343 Increase 2.8% Increase
37  Nebraska 1,961,504 1,826,341 135,163 Increase 7.4% Increase
38  Idaho 1,839,106 1,567,582 271,524 Increase 17.3% Increase
39  West Virginia 1,793,716 1,852,994 −59,278 Decrease −3.2% Decrease
40  Hawaii 1,455,271 1,360,301 94,970 Increase 7.0% Increase
41  New Hampshire 1,377,529 1,316,470 61,059 Increase 4.6% Increase
42  Maine 1,362,359 1,328,361 33,998 Increase 2.6% Increase
43  Rhode Island 1,097,379 1,052,567 44,812 Increase 4.3% Increase
44  Montana 1,084,225 989,415 94,810 Increase 9.6% Increase
45  Delaware 989,948 897,934 92,014 Increase 10.3%Increase
46  South Dakota 886,667 814,180 72,487 Increase 8.9% Increase
47  North Dakota 779,094 672,591 106,503 Increase 15.8% Increase
48  Alaska 733,391 710,231 23,160 Increase 3.3% Increase
 District of Columbia 689,545 601,723 87,822 Increase 14.6% Increase
49  Vermont 643,077 625,741 17,336 Increase 2.8% Increase
50  Wyoming 576,851 563,626 13,225 Increase 2.4% Increase
   United States 331,449,281 308,745,538 22,703,743 Increase 7.4% Increase

City Populations

Rank City State Population Land area
(square miles)
Population density
(per square mile)
Region
1 New York New York &&&&&&&&08804190.&&&&&08,804,190 &&&&&&&&&&&&0301.500000301.5 &&&&&&&&&&029201.30000029,201.3 Northeast
2 Los Angeles California &&&&&&&&03898747.&&&&&03,898,747 &&&&&&&&&&&&0468.700000468.7 &&&&&&&&&&&08318.2000008,318.2 West
3 Chicago Illinois &&&&&&&&02746388.&&&&&02,746,388 &&&&&&&&&&&&0227.300000227.3 &&&&&&&&&&012082.70000012,082.7 Midwest
4 Houston Texas &&&&&&&&02354580.&&&&&02,354,580 &&&&&&&&&&&&0637.500000637.5 &&&&&&&&&&&03613.2000003,613.2 Southern
5 Philadelphia Pennsylvania &&&&&&&&01593724.&&&&&01,593,724 &&&&&&&&&&&&0161.&&&&&0161 9,898.9 Northeast
6 Phoenix Arizona &&&&&&&&01471941.&&&&&01,471,941 518.3 2,839.9 West

Debate Over Citizenship Question

There was a big discussion about whether to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census. The Census Bureau had asked about citizenship in the past, but not since 1950.

Some people worried that asking about citizenship would make immigrants less likely to answer the census. This could lead to an undercount of people. Others argued that the question was needed for certain laws, like the Voting Rights Act.

This debate led to several lawsuits. Courts had to decide if the question could be added. In the end, the Supreme Court said the reason given for adding the question wasn't good enough. Because of this, the citizenship question was not included on the 2020 census forms.

Later, President Trump tried to use other government records to get citizenship data. He also tried to stop counting people who were in the country without permission for the purpose of deciding House seats. However, when President Joe Biden took office, he reversed these decisions.

Accuracy of the Count

After the census, the Census Bureau looked at how accurate the count was. They found that some groups were likely undercounted, meaning fewer people were counted than actually lived there. These included:

  • Hispanic people (likely undercounted by 4.99%)
  • Black people (likely undercounted by 3.3%)
  • Native Americans living on reservations (likely undercounted by 5.64%)

Other groups were likely overcounted, meaning more people were counted than actually lived there. These included:

  • Asians (likely overcounted by 2.62%)
  • Non-Hispanic Whites (likely overcounted by 1.64%)

Some states also had significant undercounts or overcounts of their total populations.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Censo de los Estados Unidos de 2020 para niños

  • Race and ethnicity in the United States census
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