Tip Sheet Number 8 — April 17, 2026

Upcoming

Online Product Calendar

The U.S. Census Bureau provides anticipated release dates for its regular and recurring statistical products through its online product calendar. This calendar is regularly updated to reflect the most current information.

Data.census.gov Users Needed for Survey

The U.S. Census Bureau's Center for Enterprise Dissemination Services and Consumer Innovation is looking for participants for an upcoming Usability Testing study. A wide range of data users with varying backgrounds are needed to learn how users interact with the site. Participants should have past or current experience using or analyzing data - and use data from data.census.gov or other statistical sites for research and to make decisions. Visit census.gov to complete the eligibility survey. Email [email protected] for more information.

Demographic

Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey

The Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS) collects data on food and nutrition, health and well-being, transportation, employment, education and other topics. The purpose of the survey is to collect information that can be used to improve and inform future surveys. These data -collected from a sample of about 30,000 households in June 2025 - cover the nation and smaller geographic areas defined by the Census Bureau. (Scheduled for release April 23.)

Vintage 2025 Population Estimates for Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions and Housing Unit Estimates for the Nation, States and Counties

Internet tables and detailed downloadable files will show annual population estimates for all local functioning governmental units, including incorporated places (such as cities and towns), minor civil divisions (such as townships), and consolidated cities. It will also include housing unit estimates for the nation, states and counties. (Scheduled for embargo May 12; public release May 14.)

Economic

Exploring Census Data Webinar: Building a Data-Driven Business Plan

Are you ready to turn numbers into a roadmap for success? Whether you're a startup or an established firm, a data-driven business plan is your best tool for growth. Join us for a webinar to learn how to identify key data that will assist you in developing a plan to make informed decisions. This session includes a live demo on how to access and use data tools. Engage with our experts during the live Q&A. (Scheduled for April 23.)

2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances

The U.S. Census Bureau will release data from the 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances providing a comprehensive look into public school spending per pupil, revenues and expenditures for all public pre-K through 12th grade school systems in the United States. (Scheduled for release May 7.)

2026 Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership Hybrid Workshop

Join us at the 2026 Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership Hybrid Workshop for a fireside chat with our keynote speaker Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist and global head of Thematic and Macro Investing at Morgan Stanley. This year's theme is "Numbers to Narratives: Data for Better Decisions." We will be highlighting the work of our state Labor Market Information (LMI) partners and other data users through plenary sessions. Details will be posted on the LEHD website when available. Information on previous workshops can also be found at Workshops and Webinars - Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics. If you have questions about the workshop, email [email protected]. (Scheduled for May 12-13.)

Census Bureau to Release 2025 Annual Survey of Public Pensions

The U.S. Census Bureau is scheduled to release the 2025 Annual Survey of Public Pensions. The ASPP provides revenues, expenditures, financial assets and membership information about defined-benefit public pension systems. Defined-benefit plans provide a specified benefit in retirement. (Scheduled for release May 14.)

New USA Trade Online tool Now Available

The U.S. Census Bureau has announced the launch of USA Trade Online: Reimagined, transitioning from the legacy USA Trade Online (UTO) platform. This new version features the same trade data as the legacy version while improving user experience with a modern, more intuitive interface and streamlined design. The UTO legacy version will be decommissioned by June. Data users who have saved reports on the legacy platform are strongly encouraged to recreate and save them in the new tool.

Business Trends and Outlook Survey

The Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) measures business conditions on an ongoing basis. BTOS experimental data products are representative of all employer businesses other than farms in the U.S. economy. The data allow greater insight into the state of the economy by providing continuous, timely information for key economic measures. Data are released biweekly and are available by sector, state, employment size and the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas. New questions on artificial intelligence (AI) were added November 17 and new AI supplemental content will be released April 23.

Federal Register Notices

The U.S. Census Bureau publishes updates in the Federal Register to keep the public informed about surveys, censuses and related activities. Some notices include a comment period during which the public can provide feedback. For more information on Census Bureau Federal Register notices (FRNs), check out Collections of Information and Federal Register Notices.

Current FRNs include:

• Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Operation (Comment period ends April 20.)
• National Survey of Children's Health (Comment period ends April 24.)
• Age Search Service Fee Structure (Comment period ends April 24.)
• Survey of State Government Research and Development (Comment period ends May 1.)
• Current Population Survey (CPS) 2026 Field Test (Comment period ends May 4.)

Recently Released

(Released since April 3, 2026)

Demographic

New Data Tables on Most Common First Names and Surnames in the 2020 Census

April 14 - The U.S. Census Bureau released a series of data tables of the most common first and last names reported in the 2020 Census. The tables include national-level counts such as last names by race and Hispanic origin, first names by race and Hispanic origin, and first names by sex. The Census Bureau has produced counts of the most common last names in each decennial census since the 1990 Census. The 2020 Census was the first since 1990 to provide data on first names.

Economic

2025 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll -

April 16 - The U.S. Census Bureau released a new summary report and data tables for the 2025 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. These statistics provide a comprehensive look at the employment of the nation's state and local governments and gross monthly payroll for March 2025. Federal, state and local governments, and education and research organizations use public employment and payroll data for comparative studies and activities such as development of the government component of the gross domestic product (GDP). Revised 2023 and 2024 tables were released along with the new 2025 data.

2025 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections

April 15 - The U.S. Census Bureau released new data tables for the Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections featuring details on tax collections by type of tax imposed and collected by state governments. These data cover five broad tax categories and up to 25 tax subcategories.

Exploring Inequitable Trends in Education Staff Turnover

April 15 - The U.S. Census Bureau and the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership in collaboration with the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) and the Labor Market Information (LMI) Institute, welcomes Joshua Bleiberg as he presents, "Exploring Inequitable Trends in Education Staff Turnover." Educator labor markets vary considerably across the country and can change quickly during recessions. Utilizing data from the Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) on educators in Elementary and Secondary Schools (from 2000-2001 to 2022-2023), Bleiberg demonstrates how to use QWI quarter-level data to construct valid educator labor market measures.

America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

America Counts tells the stories behind the numbers in a fresh and inviting way. We feature stories on various topics such as families, housing, employment, business, education, the economy, emergency preparedness and the population.

• Eight of the Nation's Top 15 Last Names Stayed the Same Since 1790 (April 14)
• U.S. Population Aging as Nation Turns 250 (April 9)
• State Lottery Ticket Sales Soar as Prizes Get Larger (April 8)

Stats for Stories

Stats for Stories provides links to timely story ideas highlighting the U.S. Census Bureau's newsworthy statistics that relate to current events, observances, holidays and anniversaries. The story ideas are intended to assist the media in story mining and producing content for their respective audiences.

• Equal Pay Day: March 26, 2026
• Pi Day: March 14, 2026

Resources

Emergency Management/Disaster Resources

When major disasters strike, visit our Emergency Management webpage for demographic and economic data on impacted areas. Each disaster will include data from our key emergency management tools: OnTheMap for Emergency Management, Community Resilience Estimates, Census Business Builder: Regional Analyst Edition and other useful resources.

Learn What Surveys Are Being Conducted in Your Community -

Discover which of the U.S. Census Bureau's annual surveys are being conducted in your community. In a variety of surveys and censuses, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries and institutions. Learn more about surveys currently being conducted in each Census Bureau region:

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Denver
• Los Angeles
• New York
• Philadelphia
• All Surveys

Data Tools

The U.S. Census Bureau's interactive applications are used to access statistics from our annual surveys and programs. A complete list can be accessed on the Census Bureau's Data Tools and Apps webpage.

Training Opportunities

U.S. Census Bureau Training Opportunities

Webinars are available on a regular basis to help the public access and use Census Bureau statistics. These free sessions, which are 60 to 90 minutes each, show users how to navigate Census Bureau databases and mapping tools and find demographic and economic statistics at the local or national level. Descriptions of upcoming sessions are available on our Census Academy webpage. Login details are provided at least one week before a webinar.

• Exploring Census Data Webinar: Building a Data-Driven Business Plan (Thursday, April 23, 2-3 p.m. ET)
• Orient Yourself With Large Census Geographies (Wednesday, April 23, 2-3 p.m. ET)
• Discover Race and Ethnicity Data on Data.census.gov (Tuesday, April 28, 2-3 p.m. ET)
• Using American Community Survey Data to Strengthen Grant Proposals (Wednesday, April 29, 2-3 p.m. ET)
• Learning about Curated Academic Training (Thursday, April 30, 4:30-5:30 p.m. ET)
• U.S. Census Bureau GeoForum - Day 1 (Tuesday, May 19, 12-5 p.m. ET)
• U.S. Census Bureau GeoForum - Day 2 (Wednesday, May 20, 12-5 p.m. ET)
• How Cross-Survey Modeling Enhances Census Bureau Measures (Wednesday, May 27, 2-3 p.m. ET)
• Exploring Census Data: Discovering America's Workforce with the LEHD (Thursday, May 28, 2-3 p.m. ET)

Archived Training Resources

Visit the U.S. Census Bureau's Educational Resource Library for previously recorded, free training available at your convenience. The library includes presentations, recorded webinars, tutorials and other helpful materials.

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