In January, the 2020 U.S. Census officially begins, with the population count in remote parts of Alaska. By April 1, the process begins for the rest of the U.S. population. The census, conducted every 10 years, is the most important initiative of the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal government’s largest statistical agency and the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. The data collected by the census determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives, and it is used to distribute more than $675 billion in Federal funds to local communities. This funding supports education, healthcare, infrastructure improvements, and more.