American Community Survey (ACS)

• It's safe, secure and confidential. Your information and privacy are protected.
• It's economical—it's the least expensive way to respond to the survey—saving taxpayers money.
• It's greener—it helps conserve paper.
• It's user-friendly—offering you help screens and the ability to review your answers.

If you live in or manage group housing such as a dorm, nursing home, barracks, etc. visit our group housing page for special instructions.

• How to respond to questions on the paper questionnaire
• Who can I call for help?
• What do I do if I forgot my PIN?
• Where do I find my User ID?
• How can I verify it was really the Census Bureau who contacted me?

Have other questions about the American Community Survey?

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You can complete the American Community Survey many ways--respond online, respond by mail, respond by phone, or in-person interview.

The Census Bureau mails letters to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the ACS and to provide instructions for completing the survey online. In Puerto Rico and some hard to reach areas in the United States, only a paper questionnaire is mailed. You are asked to complete the survey online or to mail the completed paper questionnaire back. If the Census Bureau does not receive a completed survey within a few weeks, we will mail an additional paper survey questionnaire.

If we cannot reach you via Internet or paper questionnaire, a field representative may visit you to conduct an interview in person.

Each completed survey is important because it is a building block used to create statistics about communities in America.