The U.S. Census Bureau announced on March 23 that it has selected Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, as the sites for its upcoming 2026 Census Test. The test aims to evaluate new methods of census data collection and will involve collaboration with the U.S. Postal Service to improve in-field enumeration processes ahead of the 2030 Census.
Approximately 154,600 households across both locations will be invited to participate starting May 1 by responding online in English using computers, smartphones, or tablets. There will be no phone or mail response options for this test. The questions asked will mirror those found in the American Community Survey and are expected to take about forty minutes per household.
For households that do not respond online by June 1, census takers—including postal workers—may visit in person through August 31 when data collection ends. All responses are protected by federal law and kept confidential.
The pilot program tests two different models for involving postal workers. In Huntsville, postal workers will be hired as temporary Census Bureau employees working outside their USPS hours; they will not identify themselves as USPS staff during these visits. In Spartanburg, postal workers will collect responses while on their regular mail routes as USPS employees wearing uniforms and identifying themselves accordingly.
Both sites aim to leverage local knowledge of postal carriers while refining field operations such as staffing and training procedures. Each site expects participation from around twenty-five postal workers alongside an equal number of traditional census takers.
The results from this test are intended to inform innovations for the next decennial count in 2030 with a focus on reducing field workloads and costs while maintaining accuracy. More information can be found at the official webpages for the 2026 Census Test and 2030 Census.
