The U.S. Census Bureau announced on March 23 that it has chosen Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, as the sites for its 2026 Census Test. The test aims to explore new ways of working with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to improve data collection ahead of the 2030 Census.
This initiative is significant because it will help determine whether using postal workers can make census field operations more effective and efficient in future counts. By testing different approaches in these two cities, the Census Bureau hopes to refine processes that could lead to cost savings and better participation rates nationwide.
Beginning May 1, about 154,600 households across both locations will be invited to complete an online survey similar to the American Community Survey. The questionnaire will only be available online in English via computer or mobile device; phone and mail responses are not being offered for this test. For households that do not respond voluntarily by June 1, census takers—including postal workers—will begin visiting homes through August 31 when data collection ends.
The pilot involves two different models: In Huntsville, postal workers will be hired as temporary Census Bureau employees working outside their regular USPS hours; they will identify themselves solely as census staff when collecting information from residents. In Spartanburg, participating postal workers will gather responses during their normal mail delivery routes while clearly identifying themselves as USPS employees. Both groups receive training specific to census confidentiality requirements under federal law.
According to the announcement, about 25 postal workers and an equal number of traditional census takers at each site are expected to visit non-responding households. This effort builds on a longstanding partnership between the agencies and seeks to leverage local knowledge while improving staffing efficiency.
The results from this test are intended to guide planning for innovations in fieldwork during the next decennial count in 2030. More information is available on dedicated web pages for both the 2026 Census Test and the upcoming national census.
