2026 Census Test Updates

The test will include the same questions asked in the American Community Survey (ACS), which collects detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. Questions are expected to take around 40 minutes to complete and include name, race, sex, citizenship and education.

A smaller subset of questions will be asked for households who do not respond on their own. Using the ACS allows the Census Bureau to leverage existing questions that the Census Bureau already asks.

Starting on June 1 and through August 31 when data collection ends, census takers, including postal workers, may visit households that do not respond on their own to collect responses in person. Responses to Census Bureau surveys are safe, secure, and protected by federal law. All responses are kept completely confidential and can only be used to produce statistics.