The U.S. Census Bureau, in coordination with federal, state and local health officials, will begin to drop off 2020 Census questionnaire packets at front doors of certain households in 14 Western New York counties starting today. This is done in areas where the majority of households do not receive mail at their physical address. The Census Bureau began hand-delivering census materials March 15, but suspended all fieldwork for this operation March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 14 counties affected by this resumption are those served by the Rochester Area Census Office. They are: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.

Temporary field staff have been trained to observe all social distancing protocols and will wear official government-provided personal protective equipment for their safety and the safety of the public. This operation is contactless and follows the most current federal health and safety guidelines. The health and safety of Census Bureau staff and the public is always a top priority.

The Census Bureau will deliver 2020 Census invitations and paper questionnaires at the front doors of roughly 5.1 million stateside households, including 34,500 households in the 14 WNY counties. This operation is crucial to ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities, which helps guide hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private sector spending per year.

People are strongly encouraged to respond promptly to the 2020 Census using the ID number included in the questionnaire packet. Responding with a census ID or the paper questionnaire helps ensure the best count of their community. People can respond online, by phone or by using the paper form in the packet.

For more information, please visit the 2020 Census COVID-19 operational adjustments page.