The Village is supporting the Census 2020 effort to “Count Everyone Once, Only Once, and in the Right Place” by focusing its efforts on historically hard-to-count populations that were identified by Skokie-specific data from previous censuses: renters, low-income persons, young children, senior citizens, “Millennials”, ethnic minorities and non-English speakers. It is hoped that parents of school-aged children, daycare centers, health clinics serving low-income populations, renters and patrons at the Niles Township Food Pantry, English Language Learners Center and Skokie Public Library will participate.
Census results affect Skokie’s voice in government, how much of $675 billion in federal funding Skokie receives for the next 10 years and how we plan for the future of the community. By completing the census form, you help Skokie create jobs, provide housing, prepare for emergencies and build schools, roads and hospitals. Census results determine the number of seats Illinois gets in Congress, and State and local officials use census counts to draw boundaries for congressional, State legislative and school districts. Skokie residents will receive a letter of invitation by mail to fill out the census questionnaire online or by phone in early March 2020.
This will be the first census in which everyone in Skokie will need to report using the internet or a phone. The Village and our community partners will set up computer stations for residents without computer access. These stations will be set up at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton Street and at the Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton Street. Additional public-use stations will be announced at www.skokie.org and in the next edition of NewSkokie. The census will not ask about the citizenship of people living at Skokie addresses, but will ask about the following:
- Population Count (number of people living or staying): This question is asked to collect an accurate count of the number of people at each address on Census Day, April 1, 2020.
- Any additional people living or staying: The goal is to count people once, only once, and in the right place according to where they live on Census Day.
- Owner/renter: This information is used to create statistics about homeownership and renters.
- Phone number: This is needed in case the Census Bureau needs to contact you for official Census Bureau business. The census does not share phone numbers.
The 2020 Census is easy. The questions are simple. For more information, please email info@skokie.org.