Learn more about completing the 2020 Census for Ohio. See Ohio's Census 101.
Response rate as of 4/13/20
See more about Ohio's 2020 Census response rate here.
Respond to the U.S. Census for Ohio. It matters.
The 2020 Census is very brief. It will only ask you some basic questions: your name, where you live, your phone number, the number of people living with you, your age, birthdate, sex, and race & origin.
If you're not sure whether to count your roommates* or whether to be counted at your parents' residence, please watch the official 2020 Census video for college students on this page.
* It's better to be temporarily over-counted than not to be counted at all!
Nearly 1 million Ohioans don't have reliable internet at home. Consider checking in with 5 people to remind them about completing their Census form by phone or mail!
"In general, students in colleges and universities temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 virus will still be counted as part of this process. Even if they are home* on census day, April 1, they should be counted according to the residence criteria which states they should be counted where they live and sleep most of the time..." (Census press release regarding counting college students, March 15, 2020)
* Since students would normally be at school on April 1, this means that they should mark themselves at their college address even if they are staying with their parents during this time. This applies mostly to those living off campus (dorms and Greek houses will normally take care of the Census form for students).
Any data I submit in the Census can be used against me.
Federal law protects your census responses. Title 13 of the U.S. Code guarantees that the Census Bureau cannot share your information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI or any other state or federal agency or individual. The U.S. government will not release personally identifiable information about an individual to any other individual or agency until 72 years after it was collected for the decennial census.
The Census only needs to be completed by U.S. Citizens.
Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution as updated by the 14th Amendment states that all persons, not all citizens, must be counted in the Census.
For more myths, see The State Library of Ohio's Census resource page.
