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Completion of 2020 Census helps local communities receive fair share of federal funding

In an effort to ensure that Colorado – and Moffat County as a whole – receives fair representation in Congress and its fair share of federal funding, county commissioners Ray Beck, Don Cook and Donald Broom are encouraging residents to complete the 2020 Census.

There is approximately $880 billion in federal funding allocated across the United States based on Census counts, according to Colorado’s official state web portal. In Colorado alone, this equates to approximately $13 billion annually or an estimated $2,300 per person according to a study by George Washington University. Some of the programs funded by Census dollars are Head Start programs; section 8 housing; Tier 1 grants for educational agencies and emergency food and shelter.

During the 2016 Fiscal Year, Colorado received $13,087,705,849 through 55 federal spending programs guided by data derived from the 2010 Census.



Knowing that, the State of Colorado is pushing The Counting for Dollars 2020 Project, which aims to understand 1) the extent to which the federal government will rely on data from the 2020 Census to guide the distribution of federal funding to states, localities, and households across the nation and 2) the impact of the accuracy of the 2020 Census on the fair, equitable distribution of these funds.

“The Census is about so much more than a population count,” said Governor Jared Polis, regarding the 2020 Census. “It’s also about making sure our state gets the resources it needs to support our communities and plan for the future. Funding from the census can go toward new roads, new schools, new emergency services and economic opportunities.”



Colorado has formed a State Complete Count Campaign (CCC) that is focused on education, awareness and motivation to participate in the first-ever online census, according to Colorado’s official Census website. Available in 13 different languages, the Census can be filled out online, via the paper form or responding by phone.

The Census is a safe process that is incredibly important. Answers are protected by law and are not shared with anyone pursuant to federal law, to include any other Federal Agency, according to the Census’ official language. While it is the Census Bureau’s responsibility to count everyone in the country, local communities will benefit the most by an accurate count. 

“By obtaining an accurate count for Colorado, the critical investments through federal allocations will be possible in Colorado communities,” said Natriece Bryant, Deputy Director for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and State Chair for Colorado’s Complete Count Committee.

To learn more, visit the Colorado Census 2020 website. Fact sheets and resources for use by communities and organizations are also available.


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