Last week I had the opportunity to visit Providence, Rhode Island, where the 2018 Census Test is wrapping up. During my visit I sat down and spoke with some of the folks who did a great job managing our area census office during the 2018 Census Test about what they experienced during the test. I also met and thanked local officials and partners who were crucial in raising awareness of the test.

The 2018 Census Test supports the goal of the 2020 Census, which is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place. The test provided insights and will guide our planning to ensure a complete and accurate census. As 2020 Census operations move forward, the Census Bureau will use the results from the test to refine the use of mobile technology, administrative records, innovations from the geospatial industry, and self-response via the internet and phone.

With a response rate of 52.3 percent, we learned that more than half of all households responded to the test on their own — surpassing our test estimate of 49.3 percent. Of those who responded on their own, 61.2 percent did so through the internet (surpassing the projected proportion of internet responses by 2 percentage points), 7.5 percent responded by phone, and 31.3 percent answered the test by mailing back a paper questionnaire.

So thank you, Providence, for your support and participation during this critical test. With less than two years until Census Day, the 2018 Census Test has proved that we are on track and well on our way to a successful 2020 Census.