Summary
The U.S. Census Bureau plans to test using postal workers to gather census information in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2026. This trial aims to see if postal workers' local knowledge can help with census data collection for the 2030 Census. This new method could impact how the census counts people and allocates federal funding.
Key Facts
- The Census Bureau will use USPS workers in a 2026 test to prepare for the 2030 Census.
- Postal workers will collect census responses from households that do not reply online.
- The test will happen in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina.
- Postal workers already know their routes and could help with accurate data collection.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggests using USPS workers for the census.
- A past review indicated that using postal workers might not be cost-effective.
- The bureau will evaluate if this reduces follow-up visits and improves data quality.
- In 2020, the Census Bureau employed over 230,000 temporary workers for similar tasks.
