The U.S. Census Bureau today (May 1, 2026) invited households in select parts of the Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, metro areas to begin responding online to the 2026 Census Test. The online questionnaire is live and ready for residents to log in and submit their responses.
Households in both test sites (81,000 in Huntsville, AL, and 73,600 in Spartanburg, SC) will receive a mailed invitation expected to arrive around May 1. Each invitation includes a unique Census ID required to log in to the online questionnaire.
Residents may use any computer, tablet or smartphone to respond to the online questionnaire. Responses will not be accepted over the phone or via paper questionnaire. The online questionnaire is offered in English only.
The test includes the same questions as the American Community Survey, which collects detailed demographic, social, economic and housing data. The survey will take around 40 minutes to complete and includes questions on name, race, sex, citizenship and education.
Households that do not respond to the initial invitation may receive up to four reminders in the mail. Beginning in June, census takers, including specially trained U.S. Postal Service (USPS) workers, will begin conducting in-person follow-up visits to collect responses from households who have not yet responded. Postal workers are taking part in follow-up visits as part of the 2026 Census Test pilot with the USPS.
Responses are safe, secure and protected by federal law. All responses are kept completely confidential and can only be used to produce statistics.
The 2026 Census Test will evaluate the viability of innovations planned for the 2030 Census and inform the Census Bureau’s readiness to achieve a complete and accurate count of the nation’s population.
More details are available on the 2030 Census and 2026 Census Test webpages.
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