First Count of the 2020 Census

For the last three censuses, the U.S. Census Bureau selected a remote Alaska Native village—Toksook Bay—as the location of the first enumeration, beginning in January 2020. Local census takers will then start enumerating the approximately 240 remote villages and communities in Alaska. Residents of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and other large Alaska cities will respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or mail beginning in mid-March.

Click the link below to take a tour of the first census counts in Alaska through the centuries.

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How We Count: Rural and Remote Locations

Census Bureau employees take extraordinary measures to reach homes that can be difficult to access in rural and remote areas, whether they are located at the top of a mountain or at the end of a mile-long gravel drive.

Often, rural households do not have typical mailing addresses but use post office boxes in nearby towns. The Census Bureau does not mail to P.O. boxes. Instead, census takers deliver paper questionnaires to each home in such areas, along with information about options to respond by phone or online, and confirm/record the physical location of the home. In-person follow-ups are made if no response is received. 

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About the Census Bureau

We serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. The Census Bureau is the federal government's largest statistical agency. We are a scientific organization focused on data. Policy-makers, businesses, and the public use our information to make far-reaching decisions.