The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2030 Census Operational Plan on July 24, 2025, a “high-level document” explaining “the operational design for the 2030 Census,” as well as “the full scope of the 2030 Census Program” and the Bureau’s “approach for planning and executing the work needed for the decennial census.” It is also dubbed “Baseline 1.”
The plan, also dubbed “Baseline 1”, offers “a snapshot of big-picture activities the Census Bureau will undertake to conduct the 2030 Census,” including:
- “Establish where to count. Identify all the addresses where people could live. Count the population.”
- “Encourage participation and response. Collect and process data for households and individuals in all living situations.”
- “Research census results. Understand coverage and quality of census results.”
- “Provide census results. Prepare and provide census data products.”
- “Plan and manage. Plan and design operations and follow disciplined program management practices to effectively prepare for and conduct the census.”
- “Provide solutions. Manage and execute the planning, design, development, testing, security, and operational support for IT solutions required to conduct the census.”
- “Provide infrastructure. Provide services, staffing, workspace and environment needed to develop, test, secure and conduct the census.”
The Bureau noted that the plan is more detailed in some places than others, and will continue to be refined “as the work matures and is organized and integrated into operations.” In late 2025, the Bureau will release the “Detailed Plan for the 2026 Census Test”; in summer 2027, the second version of this operational plan; in early 2028, the initial “Detailed Operational Plans”; in summer 2029, a third version of the operational plan; in late 2029, a refined “Detailed Operational Plans,” based on the 2028 Dress Rehearsal; and in early 2032, various snapshot versions looking back at the operational design and detailed operational plans, as the Census Bureau looks to plan for the 2040 Census.
First 2030 Census Operational Plan Released
The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2030 Census Operational Plan on July 24, 2025, a “high-level document” explaining “the operational design for the 2030 Census,” as well as “the full scope of the 2030 Census Program” and the Bureau’s “approach for planning and executing the work needed for the decennial census.” It is also dubbed “Baseline 1.”
The plan, also dubbed “Baseline 1”, offers “a snapshot of big-picture activities the Census Bureau will undertake to conduct the 2030 Census,” including:
- “Establish where to count. Identify all the addresses where people could live. Count the population.”
- “Encourage participation and response. Collect and process data for households and individuals in all living situations.”
- “Research census results. Understand coverage and quality of census results.”
- “Provide census results. Prepare and provide census data products.”
- “Plan and manage. Plan and design operations and follow disciplined program management practices to effectively prepare for and conduct the census.”
- “Provide solutions. Manage and execute the planning, design, development, testing, security, and operational support for IT solutions required to conduct the census.”
- “Provide infrastructure. Provide services, staffing, workspace and environment needed to develop, test, secure and conduct the census.”
The Bureau noted that the plan is more detailed in some places than others, and will continue to be refined “as the work matures and is organized and integrated into operations.” In late 2025, the Bureau will release the “Detailed Plan for the 2026 Census Test”; in summer 2027, the second version of this operational plan; in early 2028, the initial “Detailed Operational Plans”; in summer 2029, a third version of the operational plan; in late 2029, a refined “Detailed Operational Plans,” based on the 2028 Dress Rehearsal; and in early 2032, various snapshot versions looking back at the operational design and detailed operational plans, as the Census Bureau looks to plan for the 2040 Census.
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