2020 Census Timeline

US Census Bureau’s July 1, 2019 population estimates for counties become available
Completed: Feb 19, 2020
March 26, 2020
Census Day
Completed: Apr 1, 2020
April 1, 2020
State Demographer e-mails/letters to municipalities/counties requesting confirmation of local contact information
Completed: May 15, 2020
May 15, 2020
US Census Bureau’s July 1, 2019 population estimates for municipalities and housing unit estimates for counties become available
Completed: May 21, 2020
May 21, 2020
State Demographer e-mail invitations to local contacts asking them to respond to NC Demographic Information Survey
Completed: Jun 25, 2020
June 25, 2020
US Census Bureau’s July 1, 2019 population estimates by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for Counties published
Completed: Jun 25, 2020
June 25, 2020
Last day for counties and municipalities to respond to the annual survey
Completed: Jul 24, 2020
July 24, 2020
Census count completed
Completed: Jul 31, 2020
July 31, 2020
State Demographer e-mails invitation to municipalities/counties to review preliminary July 1, 2019 standard and certified population estimates.
Completed: Aug 27, 2020
August 27, 2020
Last day municipalities and counties can comment on the preliminary population estimates
Completed: Sep 9, 2020
September 9, 2020
State Demographer finalizes certified and standard population estimates for municipalities and counties and delivers to NC Dept's of Transportation and Revenue
Completed: Sep 15, 2020
September 15, 2020
State Demographer publishes county/municipal population estimates to demography.osbm.nc.gov
Completed: Sep 30, 2020
September 30, 2020
State Demographer sends letters to municipalities/counties with substantial changes from preliminary to final population estimates.
Completed: Sep 30, 2020
September 30, 2020
State Demographer publishes 2020 – 2040 Population Projections for counties/state at demography.osbm.nc.gov. Last set of population projections relying on the 2010 Census
Completed: Oct 30, 2020
October 30, 2020
US Census Bureau delivers apportionment counts to the President. The apportionment count includes total population living in each state plus military and federal personnel and their families living abroad.
Completed: Dec 31, 2021
December 31, 2020
Deadline for the release of the TIGER/Line shapefiles for North Carolina, which do not include demographic data.
Completed: Jan 28, 2021
January 28, 2021
Deadline for release of re-districting data from 2020 Census. Will include total/voting age population, population by race/Hispanic origin, and housing unit counts for geographies down to census block
September 30, 2021
State Demographer will evaluate how well municipal/county populations were estimated for 2010 – 2019 by comparing the 2010 and 2020 Census counts to population estimates, and adjust models.
Fall 2021
First set of standard and certified population estimates using the 2020 Census counts as a base will be produced by the State Demographer. Populations will be estimated for July 1, 2020 (three months after the April 1, 2020 Census count).
Fall/Winter 2021
First state and county population projections using inputs from the 2020 Census will be produced.
Fall/Winter 2021

Project Updates

2020 Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles Have Arrived
Monday, February 22, 2021

The Census Bureau has released the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Geographic Support Products for all 50 states, including North Carolina. State and local governments use these products in their redistricting efforts.

The products contain newly created 2020 Census blocks and updated block groups, census tracts, voting districts, and current boundaries for legal governments and school districts referenced to January 1, 2020.