Montana Census 2020

It takes just 10 minutes to answer 9 simple questions that will shape your community for the next 10 years.

How to Take the Census

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT YOUR 2020 CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE

A sample copy of the 2020 Census Questionnaire can be found HERE.

Filling out the Census Is Quick Easy and Safe. In 2020, households will have three options to respond.

Online – Respond online using the internet or smartphone by going to my2020census.gov.

Phone – Respond over the telephone by calling the census call center at 1-844-330-2020.

Mail – you can fill out the census questionnaire in English or Spanish and mail the form, postage-free, back to the Census Bureau. If you need the form in another language, forms are available on-line in seven different languages. Additional paper questionnaires will not be available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

No Census ID? No Problem.

As many as 20-35% of households across Montana, especially those that are in rural locations or have P.O. boxes, will not receive a Census invitation or material until the Census Bureau restarts their door-to-door operations, which have been delayed due to COVID-19. This does not mean that you should wait to fill out your form, because even if you do not have your 12-digit Census ID you can still fill out your form now online or by phone. Simply, begin your questionnaire and then click the button highlighted below in red or call in your response.

Why An Accurate Census Count Is Important For Montana

Funding

For every Montana resident counted, the Census estimates the state will receive nearly $2,000 per person each year in federal funding. The $20,000 per person coming into the state over the next decade is used in every Montana county for medical assistance, educational programs, need-based support, infrastructure, highway planning and over 300 other programs. Spending just a few minutes to complete your Census form will help ensure Montana gets its fair share of federal funding. Filling out the form is quick, easy, safe and important.

Apportionment and Redistricting

Census data is used to define legislative districts, establish school districts and guide decision making in many other functional areas of government. As mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the Census is used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Montana is one of the states on the cusp of gaining an additional congressperson, so getting a complete count is more important than ever.

Data

Census data is used to inform community decisions. Think of it like a snapshot of who we are as a community every decade. Data for each area are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for seniors, where to build new roads and schools and where to locate job training centers. Census data is also used by organizations to obtain grant funding for key programs helping Montanans.