The first U.S. Census was conducted in 1790 and counted nearly 4,000,000 residents of our country. Every ten years since, a census has been conducted to determine population changes and concentration. The final count is used to determine the number of delegates each state has in the House of Representatives as well as the federal appropriation of funds for each state. States also use the population totals to redraw their legislative and school districts while the allocation of nearly $883 billion in federal funding goes to support nutrition programming, healthcare, social services, and infrastructure such as housing and roads.
Leading Multnomah County’s efforts for the 2020 U.S. Census, Commissioner Stegmann has been convening regional partners including Washington and Clackamas counties, Metro, all of our cities, and key stakeholders to make sure everyone gets counted. Knowing how many residents need services across Multnomah County is foundational to the county’s work. The County and our entire state relies heavily on the federal funding that will result from the 2020 Census appropriation. It is imperative that our Complete Count Committees (CCC’s) get an accurate count of our residents, especially in historically undercounted communities.
Appointed by the Governor to serve on the statewide Oregon Complete Count Committee, Commissioner Stegmann chairs a statewide committee to determine local government strategies to share information, activate jurisdictions all across Oregon, and work toward a complete and accurate count in 2020.
To become involved in Multnomah County's complete count efforts, please contact Layan Ammouri, Director of Policy and Planning at layan.ammouri@multco.us.
To find out more about the 2020 U.S. Census, please explore the following links:
- United States Census Bureau - Federal bureau leading census efforts and enumeration across the United States. Job postings with USCB can also be found there.
- Counting for Dollars - George Washington University's assessment of federal funding and local allocation by program area.
- Oregon Complete Count Committee - Governor Brown's efforts to secure a complete and accurate count in Oregon.
- Census 2020 Now - Summaries of many issues facing a complete count in 2020. Compiled by Portland State University's Population Research Center.