Census Bureau's Hard to Count Communities Map

Learn how the Census Bureau will be contacting households in your community to invite them to participate in the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau will be sending mailings and hand-delivering census packets across the country with information for householders to fill out the 2020 census form. The HTC 2020 map combines data from multiple Census Bureau sources to show all these contact strategies on one map, so census stakeholders can inform local residents what to expect in 2020. Click on the map for statistics by census tract, county, or state to see the share of households receiving each type of mailing. You can zoom to any area in the country and the map will highlight the local hard-to-count tracts and provide details about how much of the area's population may be at risk of an undercount. You can also view local resources in hard-to-count areas such as public library branches. What is the "hard to count" population, and why does it matter? The goal of the decennial census is to count each person in the United States based on their residence as of April 1. For the 2020 census, each household in the U.S. will either receive mailed instructions on how to fill out the census questionnaire online, or they will receive the actual questionnaire. The Census Bureau asks that as many households as possible submit their responses to this questionnaire via the Internet or by mail — this is the self-response component of the decennial census. In prior censuses, the self-response rate in many parts of the country has been relatively high. But in other parts of the country and for some population groups more than others, the self-response rate has been relatively low. Households may not have submitted their census questionnaire for various reasons, such as having language difficulties, concerns about trust in government, or otherwise. These areas and population groups are considered "hard to count," because the Census Bureau sends enumerators into the field to talk with each non-responding household one-by-one. This "non-response follow-up" component of the census can be difficult, time-consuming, & costly (to the Bureau, and to taxpayers). And if these groups and their communities are not counted fairly & accurately, they will be deprived of equal political representation and vital public and private resources. The goal of this map is to highlight the areas of the country that are hardest to count, and to provide information to local, regional/statewide, & national organizations who are working to make sure these hard-to-count areas & populations are fully counted to help ensure a fair and accurate census.