Preparing for the 2030 Census

• 2030 Census Planning Timeline
• Census Bureau’s 2030 Census page
• 2030 Census Operation Plan Explorer
• 2028 Census Roadmap Hub – Roadmap to the 2030 Census – Census counts
• 2026 Census Test

If the Census is not aware of the places where people live, then it is that much more challenging to count them. Having state, local, and tribal government experts participate in the various Census address programs is very important. An improved address list improves the census count, increasing our knowledge of our communities. Our goal is to have all Washington State addresses located in the Census Master Address File (MAF). Resources spent on addressing programs pay off, in 2020 OFM’s participation in LUCA, Count Review, and New Construction programs led to the addition of an estimated 12,700 households the MAF and the enumeration of roughly 35,500 people. Work done in support of address programs can also help other state efforts such as E-911.

• The 2030 Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) will begin in 2027 and run through early 2028.
  • 2030 LUCA resources
    • LUCA: Improving Census Data. Here’s How, Starting Now- National Conference of State Legislators Webinar | Slides
    • Preparing for LUCA – Roadmap to the 2030 Census
    • The 2030 Census and Cities – National League of Cities
  • Local and tribal governments can do the following now to prepare:
    • Update your local address list or create one if you don’t have one.
    • The Census Bureau uses a variety of sources to maintain the address list. Consider publishing address data in the National Address Database (NAD)and sharing address and parcel data online.
    • Plan to obtain the resources to conduct the LUCA review late 2027 through early 2028. The review may be organized through existing or temporary resources within the government or by contracting with a Council of Government, Regional Council, or other organization to do the work for you.
• The New Construction program will begin in 2029. This is local government’s last chance to update the Census Bureau’s address list before April 1, 2030. This program allows local jurisdictions to submit city style mailing addresses for housing units constructed and/or completed after address canvassing and LUCA. In addition, local jurisdictions should submit lists of group quarter addresses and transitory housing locations (such as shelters, soup kitchens, official homeless housing, and regularly scheduled mobile food vans). See details from the New Construction program in 2020. (forthcoming)

• Take a look at what Washington did for the 2020 Census: OFM’s 2020 Census outreach campaign final report.
• Additional resources OFM gathers for the 2020 Census: 2020 Census Outreach.

• Race and Ethnicity Question: The 2030 Census will have a new race and ethnicity question, replacing the two questions that were on the 2020 Census form. For more information please see: OFM’s race and ethnicity information page.
• How to verify whether a Census Bureau contact is legitimate? The Census Bureau conducts many surveys in addition to the decennial census. Information that will help you verify whether you have been contacted by the Census Bureau can be found here: Are You in a Survey? Help for Survey Participants. Alternatively, you can call the Los Angeles Regional Census Office at 1-800-922-3530 for additional assistance.