Celebrating 244 Years of Independence

As the nation celebrates this Independence Day, it’s a good time to reflect on how our Founding Fathers enshrined in our Constitution the importance of statistics as a vital tool for measuring people, places, and economy.

Every 10 years, the United States counts its population. It's a requirement, written into the Constitution. And the first count dates back to the first years of our first president, when U.S. Marshals conducted the census on horseback.

It's carried on once a decade since then, as the country has continued to grow, as innovators have found new ways to ensure that everyone is counted.

This year, make sure you make history by participating in the 2020 count.

Then test your history knowledge with this census quiz.

Take the Quiz

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• data.census.gov
• Census Business Builder
• QuickFacts
• My Congressional District
• My Tribal Area

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On the Calendar

Stats for Stories and Facts for Features provide links to timely newsworthy statistics that relate to observances, holidays, anniversaries, and current events.

See a list of upcoming data releases and key dates on the calendar.

Facts for Features: Fourth of July

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation.

2.5 Million

The estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation in July 1776.

56

The number of signers of the Declaration of Independence.

More Facts

Fun Facts for Teachers and Students

Interact with students using this fun facts worksheet that shares real-life data related to the holiday. Then view the teaching guide for ideas on how this fun facts can be used as an activity. 

Learn More

New & Notable:

• How Resilient Are Communities to Disasters?
• Who Conducted the First Census in 1790?
• Census Slogans Over the Decades
• 2020 Census Is Critical for Your Community
• How Many Voted in Your Congressional District in 2018?
• America: A Nation of Small Towns
• Who Are the Nation's Veterans?

Recent Releases:

• New Census COVID-19 Hub Helps Guide Pandemic Recovery
• 2020 Census Begins In-Person Count of People Living in Group Quarters
• Census Takers to Start Follow Up With Nonresponding Households

• Census Bureau Resumes In-Person Interviews for Ongoing Surveys

• How Are Americans Using Their Stimulus Payments?
• Those Who Served: America’s Veterans From WWII to the War on Terror
• Working-Age Population Not Keeping Pace With Growth in Older Americans