Southern Nevada Counts - 2020 US Census has huge impact on our community

Las Vegas West heard from Shawn Smith with the US Census Bureau about Census 2020. She emphasized how critical an accurate count is for our community’s future. More than $6 BILLION of federal funds a year – for the next 10 years - is at stake to fund critical infrastructure, social service programs, transportation and schools in Nevada.

Every ten years, the US Census counts on our responses to calculate the distribution of federal funds to states. In 2020, the federal government will allocate $675 BILLION dollars to states based on Census figures. This funding supports vital civic needs such as schools, housing, health care and transportation right here in Southern Nevada. Participation in the Census not only helps Nevada get new federal support, it keeps many important programs alive. Many of our vital, ongoing civic and social programs depend on the Census for allocations of federal funds.

If we fail to maximize our participation, we not only lose out on new federal funding, but stand to lose dollars for programs like Medicare and Medicaid, as well as dozens of programs benefiting our schools, highways and health system. There are numerous census tracts throughout the valley that are designated as hard-to-count neighborhoods, and it is important to make sure that everyone -including children, seniors and temporary residents - gets counted.

#WinTheCensus #SouthernNevadaCounts