The U.S. Census Bureau has released the first version of its operational plan for the 2030 Census, outlining key steps in preparing for the next nationwide population and housing count. The plan, referred to as “Baseline 1,” presents an overview of major activities required to conduct the census and is accompanied by a new interactive tool designed to help users explore its contents.
According to the agency, this initial plan details broad strategies such as establishing where people live, encouraging participation, collecting and processing data from all types of living situations, researching census results for coverage and quality, preparing data products, managing operations with disciplined program management practices, developing IT solutions needed for the census process, and providing necessary infrastructure including staffing and workspace.
“Baseline 1 builds upon the successes of the 2020 Census, with further improvements to increase efficiencies. The plan incorporates research, small-scale testing and public feedback to date. The Census Bureau is set to carry out the 2026 Census Test and 2028 Census Dress Rehearsal to inform subsequent, more detailed versions of the plan. This iterative approach will give the Census Bureau an evidence-based design for the 2030 Census.”
The current release represents a high-level framework; future versions are expected to provide more detailed descriptions based on ongoing research and test findings.
