JULY 22, 2024 — The U.S. Census Bureau today announced the sites for the 2026 Census Test, the first of two major on-the-ground tests planned in preparation for the 2030 Census.

The 2026 Census Test will evaluate the viability of innovations and enhancements planned for the 2030 Census, with particular focus on improving the count of hard-to-count and historically undercounted populations.

The Census Bureau plans to conduct 2026 Census Test operations in six locations:

Colorado Springs, CO (selected areas within the metro area).
Huntsville, AL (selected areas within the metro area).
Tribal Lands Within Arizona (Fort Apache Reservation, home to the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and San Carlos Reservation, home to the San Carlos Apache Tribe).
Spartanburg, SC (selected areas within the metro area).
Western North Carolina (Cherokee, Graham, Jackson, and Swain counties, and Qualla Boundary, home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians).
Western Texas (Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos, and Presidio counties).

“These locations provide optimal opportunities for us to implement all the changes and enhancements we have planned for the test, under real conditions and on a larger scale than research simulations allow,” said Daniel Doyle, deputy chief of the Census Bureau’s Decennial Census Management Division. “Together, these sites will enable us to test the improvements we’re designing in our efforts to get a complete count of historically undercounted and hard-to-count populations.”

The 2026 Census Test will focus on six operational areas: (1) making it easier for people to respond on their own online, by phone or by mail; (2) improving in-person household data collection; (3) improving methods for counting people living in group quarters; (4) enhancing outreach efforts to create awareness, build trust, and encourage response; (5) enhancing the infrastructure that supports census operations; and (6) processing data concurrently with data collection.

Data-Driven Criteria

The Census Bureau used a rigorous, data-driven process to select the sites for the 2026 Census Test and developed four main sets of criteria: (1) geography, (2) living quarters characteristics, (3) staffing, and (4) technical characteristics. The Census Bureau then analyzed household and geographic data from censuses, Census Bureau surveys, and publicly available data to identify sites that met the criteria.

“It’s important to note that no one location covers all the requirements of this test,” Doyle said. “It’s the combination that’s powerful. As a group, they will enable us to meet all the testing objectives, while also meeting available budget, systems and other resource constraints.”

The test sites cover a mix of areas with:

High percentages of historically undercounted populations.

Historically low response rates.
Tribal areas.
Rural areas.
Limited internet or cell phone service.
A high percentage of households that don't receive mail directly to their address.
Seasonally vacant housing.
A high number of multiunit structures and/or hidden units in urban areas.
Significant housing growth.
Universities, correctional facilities, military housing, and other types of group quarters.

In a webinar held today, Census Bureau officials discussed how each site contributes to the test’s objectives and requirements, particularly those designed to help improve enumeration among hard-to-count and historically undercounted populations. Links to Census Bureau demographic, social and economic data about each site are available in the 2026 Census Test Press Kit.

In addition to the test activities in the six sites, the 2026 Census Test includes a separate national sample. The Census Bureau will mail materials to this nationally representative sample of households, inviting them to respond to the test online, by phone or by mail. This builds upon the Census Bureau’s ongoing small-scale testing and will help the Census Bureau improve the 2030 Census online questionnaire and invitation materials. It will also provide insight on self-response rate trends, which will inform 2030 Census planning for field infrastructure, communications and other operations. The sample size for the national component will be determined based on the detailed plans in development for the test and available resources.

Next Steps

Now that the sites have been determined, the Census Bureau will finalize the design of the 2026 Census Test next year, including specific details about how operations will be implemented during the test.

“We look forward to working with tribal and local officials in these areas,” Doyle said. “Your participation will help us work toward the goal of a complete and accurate count of every area of the country in 2030.”

The Census Bureau plans to begin community outreach in summer 2025 and recruitment of temporary field staff in early fall 2025. Both components — the national sample of households and people living in the test sites — will be asked to respond to the test in spring 2026. Census Day, the test’s reference day, will be April 1, 2026. Test operations are expected to conclude in summer 2026. The Census Bureau will share updates throughout the planning process for the test. Because the 2026 Census Test is focused on testing operations, rather than on tabulating or disseminating data, no data products will be produced from the test.

About 2030 Census Preparations

Attempting to count every person living in the United States is an incredibly complex endeavor. Throughout the planning process, the Census Bureau uses research, stakeholder and public input, and a wide range of expertise and testing to inform decisions. The design of the 2030 Census will mature through 2029. The Census Bureau will continue to engage stakeholders and provide updates throughout the decade.

For more information, visit the 2030 Census and 2026 Census Test webpages.