The results of this once-a-decade count determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. They are also used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

Over the next decade, lawmakers, business owners, and many others will use 2020 Census data to make critical decisions. The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children.

The results will also inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

The national response rate for the Census is currently 60.6%. Louisiana’s response rate is 61.7%. Winn Parish has improved it’s response rate to 43.3% but is still lagging behind the national and state response rates. Local Winn Parish communities are:

Atlanta 37.5%
Calvin 25.7%
Dodson 29.4%
Sikes 25.0%
Winnfield 46.2%

The most important thing you can do is respond online, by phone, or by mail when you receive your invitation. Responding now will minimize the need for the Census Bureau to send census takers out into communities to follow up. Please check this page for regular updates.

Go online to https://2020census.gov to fill out yours today!