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The U.S. Census Bureau is preparing to test an innovative approach to data collection by enlisting postal carriers as census takers in two southern cities, despite lingering questions about the method’s effectiveness. Beginning in June, postal workers in Spartanburg, South Carolina and Huntsville, Alabama will approach households that haven’t responded to online census questionnaires, gathering personal information about residents’ race, ethnicity, and household relationships.
The test, which involves 154,600 residents across both cities, serves as a practice run for potential methods to be implemented in the 2030 census. Online response invitations will be distributed starting May 1, according to newly released details from the Census Bureau.
“They typically think that it’s kind of a cool thing that they’re a little bit of a guinea pig,” said Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, referring to postal workers participating in the program.
The implementation differs between the two test cities. In Spartanburg, 25 postal carriers will incorporate census questions into their regular routes, identifying themselves as postal workers while collecting data. They will receive their standard postal service wage, which averaged $28.79 per hour in 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This rate significantly exceeds the $17.75 hourly pay for traditional census takers in the area.
In contrast, Huntsville’s approach will recruit 25 volunteer postal workers who will collect census data outside their normal mail delivery hours. These workers will identify themselves as Census Bureau employees and receive the same $19.75 hourly rate as other census takers in that region.
Renfroe explained that adding census questions would be just another variable postal carriers factor into their daily workload calculations, alongside weather, traffic, and mail volume. “Letter carriers, they know their people,” he noted. “You’ve got kind of some trust already built in there.”
The concept of leveraging postal carriers for census work has circulated for decades. Proponents argue it would utilize an existing workforce with established community connections and knowledge of local households. Current U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose department oversees the Census Bureau, views the approach as more cost-effective than hiring temporary workers.
Postmaster General David Steiner, in an interview with The Associated Press, recounted Lutnick’s reasoning: “The census takers are going back three and four times and five and six times to the same house until they can find someone there. Who would they rather speak to? Someone that just shows up at their door or their mail carrier who they see every day, they probably trust very much, they probably know.”
However, the proposal faces significant criticism. A 2011 Government Accountability Office report concluded that using postal carriers would not be cost-effective due to their substantially higher wages compared to temporary census workers. More recently, 21 Democratic state attorneys general expressed concerns in a letter to the Commerce Department, arguing the Census Bureau has failed to demonstrate how the approach would save money or increase efficiency.
Past attempts to implement similar programs have encountered obstacles. A planned pilot for the 2018 census test in Rhode Island was canceled due to conflicting confidentiality requirements between the Census Bureau and Postal Service. Under Census Bureau provisions, information about a household’s address and occupancy status is considered confidential, while postal service rules allow disclosure of such information to law enforcement or other agencies.
Addressing these concerns, the Census Bureau stated Monday that postal workers participating in the 2026 census test would adhere to all Bureau confidentiality provisions, undergo the same training as regular census takers, and take “an oath for life” to protect respondents’ information.
The current test has already generated controversy following last-minute changes by the Trump administration. These modifications included eliminating four other test locations, restricting the online questionnaire to English only rather than including Spanish and Chinese options, and utilizing questions from the American Community Survey—which includes a citizenship question—instead of the traditionally shorter census form.
These changes have raised concerns among advocates about potential implications for the official 2030 census, which plays a critical role in determining political representation and the distribution of federal funding across the United States.
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16 Comments
I’m intrigued by this census test using mail carriers. It could improve participation, but the logistics and data privacy concerns will be important to monitor closely. Curious to see if this approach proves effective and scalable.
Good point. The test results will be really informative in evaluating the feasibility and benefits of this approach for the 2030 census.
Interesting that the Census Bureau is piloting this approach with postal carriers. It could improve response rates, but the privacy and security of the sensitive data collected will be a major concern that needs to be addressed.
Absolutely, the Census Bureau will need robust data protection measures in place to ensure respondent trust and participation.
The census is critical for fair representation and resource allocation, so I’m glad the Bureau is exploring new methods to improve participation. However, this test does raise some privacy questions that will need to be carefully considered.
Agreed, the privacy implications need to be thoroughly addressed. Postal workers collecting sensitive demographic data could make some residents uncomfortable.
Leveraging the postal service’s nationwide reach for the census is a creative idea, but I have some worries about the potential for inconsistencies and data integrity issues. The privacy implications will also need to be carefully considered.
Good point. Proper training and oversight of postal workers collecting census data will be crucial to ensuring data quality and respondent confidentiality.
Leveraging the postal service’s widespread presence is a smart approach to reach more households. But the privacy and data security aspects will be crucial to get right, especially for sensitive information like race and ethnicity.
Absolutely, the Census Bureau will need robust protocols to protect respondent privacy and ensure the integrity of the data collected by postal workers.
Interesting approach to boost census participation, leveraging the postal service’s reach. Curious to see how this test goes and if it can improve response rates, especially in harder-to-reach areas.
Yes, it’s an innovative idea to use postal carriers as census takers. Will be important to address privacy and data security concerns during implementation.
Using postal workers as census takers is an innovative idea, but I have some reservations about the potential for bias and data quality issues. Curious to see how the test goes and if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Agreed, the data quality and privacy protections will be critical. Careful monitoring and evaluation of the test results will be essential.
Using mail carriers as census takers is an innovative idea, but I have some concerns about the potential for bias and data integrity issues. Curious to see the results of the test in the two pilot cities.
Good point. There could be challenges with consistency and accuracy if census data collection is folded into postal workers’ regular routes and duties.