Oklahoma is home to five military installations, two air national guard operations and five Army national guard complexes. We have all seen the important role active duty military, veterans and their families play in our communities.
But military families may not realize just how important they are when it comes to the 2020 Census. They should know that the 2020 Census will have an impact on their communities’ congressional representation and billions of dollars in funding annually for the next 10 years.
Special Consideration for Active Duty Military
The Census Bureau has clear guidance to help active duty military understand how to respond to the 2020 Census based on where they are on April 1, 2020.
For those active duty and:
Deployed outside the United States — while stationed in the U.S., the Census Bureau will use administrative data from DOD to count military at their usual residence in the U.S. Note: Any family members living in the U.S. need to respond for themselves to a census questionnaire.
Stationed outside the United States, the Census Bureau will use administrative data from DOD to count military and any dependents living with them overseas at their home state of record in the U.S.
Staying in barracks or other on-base group quarters in the U.S., the Census Bureau will work with a point of contact on the base to ensure these people are counted. In most cases, the contact will ask military to fill out an individual census questionnaire.
Living in a household in the U.S., these military need to respond to a household census questionnaire and count everyone living there.
Check out this 2020 Census Military Fact Sheet.