Why it matters.
Hospitals. Fire departments. Schools. Even roads and highways. The census can shape many different aspects of our community. Each year, the results help determine how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to states and communities.
Any community or part of it that the 2020 Census fails to count will not be part of many policy and money decisions that will be made in the next 10 years.
For example, 2015 estimates are that Washington may have lost close to $2,000 of federal funds for every individual not counted in 2010. We need an accurate count to make sure the way our tax dollars are divided is:
- efficient and fair
- reflects the reality in our region, and
- can create the most impact
Additional information about why the census is important can be found on the Washington State Census website.