Census 2020 Data Collection Ends Oct. 15, 2020

graphic and text for Census 2020
The Census 2020 data collection deadline ends Oct. 15, 2020. We want to remind you that everyone living in Westchester needs to be counted. To understand this importance of the Census count on a local basis, read the explanation below. It is a matter of dollars and cents for every local municipality.

If you have not answered the few simple questions contained in the Census 2020 questionnaire either online, by phone or through the mail, do so now. Everyone should have received a notice in the mail by now. Or completing the form online is simple and fast. Remember that all information is confidential.

Data from the Census will be used for the next ten years for many things - including determining New York State’s representation in Congress as well as local districting. Census data is also used for the distribution of about $880 Billion of federal funds to local municipalities according to a December 2018 report from the George Washington Institute on Policy.

The Census Bureau estimates that every person that is not counted equals a loss of approximately $2,500 per year to local municipalities. This means that every 400 people who are not counted equates to a loss of about $1 Million in funding - each year.

We need to get everyone living in Westchester counted.

This April 4th story posted on a website in San Antonio, Texas, gives a good understanding of why New York State transit agencies are pushing for households to respond to the 2020 Census.

What does the Census ask
The 2020 Census contains simple questions about the number of people in your household and their basic demographic data, along with whether the home is owned or rented. The Census Bureau will never ask you for your Social Security number, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party, or your bank or credit card account numbers or about citizenship. See why these questions are asked.

Confidentiality
The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the United States Code. These laws not only provide authority for the Census Bureau’s work, but also provide strong protection for the information they collect. All responses to the Census are confidential, and cannot be shared with any other federal or local government entity, including law enforcement agencies. More information on data protection and confidentiality is available.

How to complete the Census form
textCompleting the Census is simple. There are only nine questions to answer, sample form is available in English and Spanish. Every household will receive an invitation to respond the Census in March. This is the first time you will have the opportunity to respond quickly and easily online at 2020census.gov. The Census Bureau will also accept response via phone or mail. The form will be available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Japanese, with additional support for 59 languages.Additional information is available for completing the Census form.

How to complete the Census online
Want to know how to fill out the 2020 Census online? This is the first decennial census with an option to respond via the Internet. The Census Bureau has posted video language guides on YouTube that serve as step-by-step tutorials for how to navigate the online interface of the 2020 Census. The guides are available in English, Spanish, and 58 other languages.

Did you know that you can respond to the Census over the phone? Operators are standing by from 7am to 2am every day. There is a toll free number for your language:

English: (844) 330-2020
Spanish: (844) 468-2020
Chinese (Mandarin): (844) 391-2020
Chinese (Cantonese): (844) 398-2020
Vietnamese: (844) 461-2020
Korean: (844) 392-2020
Russian: (844) 417-2020
Arabic: (844) 416-2020
Tagalog: (844) 478-2020
Polish: (844) 479-2020
French: (844) 494-2020
Haitian Creole: (844) 477-2020
Portuguese: (844) 474-2020
Japanese: (844) 460-2020
TDD (Telephone Display Device): (844) 467-2020

Census response rates
The Census Bureau is releasing data on the percentage of households that have responded to the Census each day. You can view state, county, and Census tract-level response rates on the Census Bureau’s Self-Response Rates Map. This data is available for download via API or CSV. The Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center is also updating its Census 2020 Hard to Count (HTC 2020) map with self-response rate data each day.

For the daily overall response rate for each municipality e-mail Ted Leimbach at .

Westchester County Complete Count Committee
Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced the Census 2020 Complete Count Committee which he has tasked with ensuring all Westchester residents are counted. This is a priority for 2020 so the County, Towns, Villages, Cities and Citizens do not lose out on both federal representation and federal dollars.

Latimer said: “The mission is very simple – we want to make sure that if you reside in Westchester County that you are counted. The potential loss of dollars and representation is what is at stake here. We know that we have hard to reach communities and we wanted to make sure those communities were represented on this committee. If you are a resident of Westchester County, you need to be counted – and the census should count each individual.”

Local Complete Count Committees
You can help your community get counted. Find out how to get involved with your local Complete Count Committee by ending an e-mail to your contact below:

Ardsley: Meredith Roson at  
Bedford: Jodi Kimmel at 
Briarcliff Manor: Rhea Mallett at 
Croton-on-Hudson: Janine King at 
Dobbs Ferry: Liz Dreaper at 
Greenburgh (including Elmsford and Hastings-on-Hudson): Garrett Duquesne at 
Mount Kisco:Ed Brancati at 
Mount Vernon: Marlon Molina at 
New Castle: Kellan Cantrell at 
New Rochelle:Kevin Kain at 
Ossining Town and Village:Jaimie Hoffman at 
Peekskill: Jessica Hoffman at 
Pelham and Pelham Manor: Maura Curtin at 
Port Chester: Eric Zampf at 
Pound Ridge: Diane Briggs at 
Scarsdale: Liz Marrinan at 
Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown: Diana Loja at 
Somers: Barbara Taberer at 
White Plains: Mariam Elgueta at 
Yonkers: Melissa Goldberg at 
Yorktown: Robyn Steinberg at 

Don’t see your community listed? Starting your own local Complete Count Committee (CCC) is easy. CCCs may be comprised of government and community leaders from education, business, healthcare, and other community organizations. See what it takes to create a new Complete Count Committee in Westchester.

Westchester County Census Hubs
Census Hubs are accessible locations where you can go for assistance with filling out your 2020 Census. Need to find your nearest Census Hubs? Check out our map of 2020 Census Hubs in Westchester County. Have any additions or corrections to this map? Contact Ted Leimbach at

Due to COVID-19, some libraries are closing to help with social distancing and to prevent groups of people from congregating. Please call your local library to confirm their hours, or visit the Westchester Library System page on COVID-19 for more information on temporary closures.

Census Jobs
The Census Bureau is hiring in Westchester. Apply, and with one application, you may be considered for several positions, including census taker, recruiting assistant, office clerk, and supervisory staff—and help your community while getting paid. Census takers are paid at a rate of $21.00 per hour, and receive reimbursement for work-related mileage and expenses, where applicable. Multilingual individuals are in high demand in Westchester. Online application is available in English and Spanish.

Schools as partners
The Census Bureau has developed comprehensive resources for educators for all ages.

Classroom activities and fun facts about Census 2020
The 2020 Census matters for our children's schools and the children themselves. The 2020 Census count will play a vital role in how federal funds are distributed to communities each year for critical programs and services. The new Statistics in Schools (SIS) classroom activities and materials for the 2019-2020 school year spotlight the 2020 Census and the importance of making sure everyone is counted, especially children. A variety age-oriented activities and fun facts are available for educators to use in the classroom.

Community Outreach Toolkit

The Office of Evaluation Sciences has produced a Community Outreach Toolkit for the office of the Chief Innovation Officer and the National Partnerships program at the U.S. Census Bureau. This toolkit outlines how to make communication and outreach efforts as effective as possible. This quick guide is great reading for anyone looking to make a difference in their community to increase participation in the 2020 Census.

Census Promotional Videos

Prefer to watch a video? Westchester County Executive George Latimer kicked off the County’s 2020 Census Campaign to ensure that every Westchester County resident is counted. Included in the County’s efforts to promote the Census is a robust public awareness campaign in both English and in Spanish, which includes a series of public service announcements (PSA’s), each one focused on a different target audience for the Census: Renters, Disabled Community, Seniors, Youth, Business Community, Young Children, and Latino Community (English and Spanish).

The Census Bureau’s YouTube channel features videos on the basics from “What is the Census?” to shorter Public Service Announcements on “How Does the 2020 Census Affect Representation?,” “How Does the 2020 Census Affect Representation?” and “Is My 2020 Census Data Safe?” Visit the Census Bureau’s YouTube channel to access these and more educational resources in video format.

Students in the Byram Hills High School Global Scholars Program have produced a public service announcement video to help local residents understand the importance of responding to Census2020.

Census promotional materials
The County has created five flyers that anyone can print, distribute, and post on bulletin boards, at farmers markets, and at other community events to increase awareness of the upcoming 2020 Census. 

Grandmother with Child
Kids at Lunch - English Version

Kids at Lunch 2 - English Version
Older Couple
Family - Spanish Version
Kids at Lunch - Spanish Version

Who to contact
For more information, contact Associate Planner, Ted Leimbach, by e-mail at or by phone at (914) 995-2412.

Hard to count areas
These maps identify the areas of the county with the lowest mail return rates in the 2010 Census. For the purpose of these maps, areas are considered “hard-to-count” if their self-response rate in the 2010 Decennial Census was 73 percent or less. The 73 percent mail return rate threshold is used because it represents all tracts nationwide that are in the bottom 20 percent of 2010 mail return rates.

If Spanish is your first language, we encourage to go to census2020.gov. All information highlighted above can be found on the Spanish-language Census 2020 Web site. Bilingual English/Spanish mailings will be sent to majority Spanish-speaking areas of the county. To help everyone respond to the Census, the Census Bureau is offering support in 59 non-English languages, large print, braille, and American Sign Language. All information on this page can be found in your language on census2020.gov.