There are 328,239,523 people currently living in the United States.
Probably.
That number is an estimate, because it’s been ten years since the last census. And even though that estimate is backed by extensive research and powerful modeling equations, it’s still an estimate. Even a 1% undercount leaves three million residents out of accurate representation, civic planning, and billions of dollars in federal funding.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that every ten years, the government must make a full count of all people living within the country. There are more people to count now than there were in 1790, and there’s certainly more ground to cover. It’s a monumental task, especially for populations that are harder to count – who are often the same populations most in need of representation and funding.
As a partner in many of those same communities, YWCA St. Paul is doing everything it can to ensure a full, fair, accurate and safe census. In the coming weeks we’ll be posting and emailing about the census, sharing important facts and dates, and informing you about the different communities that are often undercounted. It’s our hope that, this spring, you can help make sure We All Count.