You Can Take The US Census 2020 Online Now - Here's Why You Should

Today is the start of the US Census 2020, something that will eventually involve people traveling house-to-house to follow up with anyone who hadn't responded to the census before that point. In light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and orders for 'social distancing,' now is the time to take advantage of census options that don't involve contact with a stranger.

Starting today, households throughout the United States will start receiving notices in the mail that instruct them on how to participate in the census. This can be done by mail and phone, two traditional methods, or online, which is considerably faster and much easier for most people. You can fill out the census form on the US Census 2020 website here.

Note that once you begin filling out the questionnaire, you won't have the option of saving your progress — if you exit the form, you'll have to start over later on. You have until March 20 to fill out this form or complete the census over the phone.

Starting on April 1, the official Census Day, people working for the census will begin visiting senior homes and college dorms, among others. Starting in May, households that haven't responded to the census using one of the aforementioned methods will be visited by census takers in person to make sure they're included in the numbers.

The online census questionnaire can be filled out even if you haven't yet received a 12-digital invitiation code to fill out the form. You'll need to provide the address for where you'll be living as of April 1, 2020, as well as your name, telephone number, information about your household like the number of people living at it, whether it is owned or rented, and more.