The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. Ultimately, the success of the census depends on everyone’s participation. The Census Bureau relies on collaborations with organizations and individuals to ensure that everyone participates. Roanoke County has established a Complete Count Committee to:
- Create an informational webpage for Roanoke County and the Town of Vinton
- Share information across County platforms, including the Explore Recreation magazine, RVTV, department newsletters, social media, email lists
- Host events to assist and encourage census completion
- Cooperate with other localities to reach all Roanoke Valley residents with messages about the importance of the census
We take the census because the U.S. Constitution mandates a headcount every 10 years of everyone residing in the states and US territories, including people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens, and noncitizens. The census determines the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. States also use the totals to redraw their legislative and school districts. The population totals also affect funding in our community, and data collected in the census help decision-makers know how our community is changing. County departments, public schools, and non-profit community rely on data to design appropriate programming and services.
Approximately $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to communities each year. Every person not counted represents a loss of $2,000 dollars of federal funding to a community.