Frequently Asked Questions
We are not actively recruiting for census workers at this time. The City hires 750-1000 temporary contract workers to help carry out a municipal census. If you are interested in becoming a census worker, please check here in the future.
Census 2019 is now closed. Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions, please call the Elections and Census Office at 780-496-8008.
Census information is used to assess existing growth and service targets as well as long-term requirements for capital development and operational planning. In short, it’s essential for municipal budget cycles.
The City uses census data to plan for public services and infrastructure such as schools, roads, recreational facilities, fire and police services, and libraries. Basing planning decisions on recently updated demographics results in more appropriate use of revenue and resources.
Many non-profits are funded on a population basis; these organizations also use the data for operational and long-term planning in addition to securing funding opportunities.
All census information provided online is encrypted during transmission and is stored in a secure database located in Canada. The amalgamated information provided from all households is transferred to the City's Census Reporting System for long term management and report generation purposes. The retention of the information is in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Reports generated on areas of the City with a population between 1 and 49 are always reported as zero.
For Census 2019, a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) was assigned to each residential address within the City of Edmonton. Residents used the PIN code to complete the census for the household.
Questions asked on a municipal census can vary by year. Census 2019 asked: dwelling type, number of residents, gender, birth year, birth month.
Census 2019 is now closed. Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions, please call the Elections and Census Office at 780-496-8008.
Only one person (over the age of 18) per household needs to complete a municipal census on behalf of all members of the household. Census 2019 is now closed — thank you for your participation.
City staff can only plan and deliver services for the residents who identify themselves in the census, so ensuring you are counted is important to help municipal services reach you and your family.
The federal census that takes place every five years captures different information than the municipal census. Relying on outdated data to make municipal planning decisions is not an efficient use of taxpayers’ money, and five years can make a large difference at the city level. Municipal census data is required to access current population data to determine the need for services and infrastructure in our rapidly growing City.
The main purpose is to collect up-to-date population data. This data is crucial for City departments, businesses, and non-profit organizations in making short-term and long-term operational and strategic plans.
The data also provides the basis for valuable grants from the provincial and federal governments. The City will only receive grants for the people identified in the census, so it’s important that every resident is counted.