The Address Canvassing Test will give the Census Bureau the opportunity to test address canvassing strategies, processes and systems in advance of the 2020 Census. The goal of the test is to deliver a complete and accurate address list and spatial database for enumeration and to determine the type and address characteristics for each living quarter in the test areas. The test provides an opportunity to collect data for use in evaluating and assessing the efficiency and accuracy of address canvassing processes as well as to validate assumptions regarding potential challenges to the continuous update and maintenance of an accurate and complete address list for the 2020 Census.

The Address Canvassing Test will take place in parts of Buncombe County, N.C., and St. Louis, Mo., where new methodologies, data and technology will be used to detect new housing developments or show that neighborhoods remain unchanged. Additionally, Census Bureau field staff will note the location of where houses, apartments, shelters and other residences are located. Census Bureau field staff might have questions for managers or landlords of multiunit buildings to determine the number of apartments within a building.

We’re changing the way we build our address list. Instead of sending a census worker to walk every street in America, we’ve been using technology and new information sources to update our address list. We have been steadily checking our address list in the office, using new methodologies and data sources. We now need to test our procedures for checking the accuracy of that work on the ground.

The Address Canvassing Test will also allow us to validate some assumptions about the challenges we might face in keeping the address list for the 2020 Census updated, complete and accurate. This is one example of how in the 2020 Census, we are making smart use of information technology to streamline our operations and save money.
The Address Canvassing Test will allow the Census Bureau to add new addresses to the existing address framework by using geographic information systems, aerial imagery and other data sources instead of sending Census Bureau employees to walk and physically check 11 million census blocks.

The Census Bureau is using technology to create a list of every place where people live, from homes, apartments to college dorms and shelters. The test supports the goal of the 2020 Census, which is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place.

• Test new in-office and in-field address canvassing methods.
• Analyze the use of a listing and mapping application on a mobile device during in-field address canvassing.
• Test updates to the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) system with address and spatial data.
• Study reengineered methods for quality assurance.