CHARLESTON W.Va. — The U.S. Census results will affect West Virginia communities for the next decade every day in very real and personal ways. School lunches. Plans for highways. Support for firefighters and families in need.
The list goes: programs to support rural areas, to restore wildlife, to prevent child abuse, to prepare for wildfires, and to provide housing assistance for older adults.
West Virginia officials are encouraging all residents — especially with so many residents at home and staying safe — to go online and complete the U.S. Census survey: Link to U.S. Census
The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into West Virginia communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.
From Charleston, to Welch, Union, Milton, Martinsburg, Elkins, Spencer, Cameron and across the West Virginia, the Census results will have an impact. Think of your local schools: Census results help determine how money is allocated for the Head Start program and for grants that support teachers and special education.