In January, government workers spread out across remote towns in Alaska. They arrived in small planes, then traveled over snow and ice by snowmobiles and even dogsleds. Why? They were there to kick off the 2020 U.S. Census, a nationwide count of all the people living in the country. The first people counted live in a small fishing village named Toksook Bay.
For the rest of the country, the census begins this month. The U.S. Census Bureau will send questionnaires to every household to ask about the number of people who live there, their ages, races, and more. Read on to find out how the federal government uses that information to help make some BIG decisions.