Why does the census matter to cities?

When the results of the 2020 census come out, we’ll have the most accurate count since 2010 of how many people live in central Puget Sound, as well as the region’s mix of ethnicities, ages, and households.

The census matters to local jurisdictions because it:

• Impacts the funding cities will receive over the next decade. Census data is used to distribute over $800 billion in federal funds to states, counties and cities nationwide.
• Provides data on housing stock and home ownership.
• Helps with infrastructure & transportation planning.
• Assists with emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and resiliency planning.

As a State Data Center for the Census Bureau, PSRC provides tailored data to meet the needs of members and others. In fact, PSRC’s member jurisdictions often ask us for census data to support their long-range plans or provisions in the Growth Management Act.

The first numbers from the 2020 census are expected to come out March 31, 2021.

Would you like to see data for your community?

The census pages on PSRC’s website have data on every jurisdiction in the region. Here’s a snippet from Auburn's demographic profile:

We publish demographic profiles for more than 200 communities. You can find them on PSRC’s census web pages.

Census Day is April 1, 2020.