P.R. named as ‘test site’ in preparation for 2020 Census
The U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday it plans to conduct a test census in selected areas within Puerto Rico beginning February 2017.
The Census Bureau will test new technologies, operations and procedures for the 2020 Census of Puerto Rico, the agency said. The test will take place in three towns within the San Juan metro area — Carolina, Loíza and Trujillo Alto — which represent some 123,000 housing units.
The Census Bureau selected these towns because residents who live in these areas are likely to use a variety of response options including the Internet, mobile devices, paper questionnaires and telephone. Additionally, the Census Bureau will further test and refine the address canvass operation.
Conducting this test will require hiring temporary census staff, which the agency will begin recruiting in October 2016. More information will be available then on census.gov.
This test supports the goal of the 2020 Census, “which is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place,” the agency said.
“As 2020 Census operations move forward, the Census Bureau will continue to improve the use of mobile technology, administrative records, innovations from the geospatial industry and self-response via the internet. This test will provide insights and guide our planning to ensure an accurate census,” the agency further noted.
