That's a Wrap! Data Collection for the 2025 National Census of Villages Closes

Thank you to everyone who made data collection for the 2025 National Census of Villages such a great success! Exactly 245 Villages across the United States are included in the census, a response rate of 88% spanning 37 states (inclusive of Washington, DC). Data collection concluded January 31, 2026. We look forward to sharing results from the census in mid-2026.

Stay up to date! Check out the project webpage for the census, and join our email list to stay up to date on updates related to the project.

For further reflections at the conclusion of the data collection for the 2025 National Census of Villages, we invite you to read the letter below from Village to Village Network (VtVN) Board President, Bill Kincaid. (This letter is reprinted from VtVN Network News, February 2026).

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President's Corner: Update - 2025 Village Census Survey

Bill Kincaid, Reprinted from VtVN Network News, February 2026

Winter is full upon us, and has brought extreme weather to virtually every part of the country. I hope your Village is faring well. 

I want to take a minute to thank the many players who have been so essential in helping with the 2025 Village Census Survey. Planning for, and then performing this data gathering has taken over 9 months. Emily Greenfield, Natalie Pope, and Uri Amir Koren and their team at Rutgers Hub for Aging have been stellar partners in this effort. We could not have done this without them! 

And thanks also go to the VtVN Board Members and the many members of the Data and Evaluation Committee from every level of the Village Movement who have come forward to help us at every step of the way: drafting the questions, refining the wording to make them as clear as possible, pilot testing the instrument, and urging Villages across the finish line. These efforts were a tremendous asset and speak to the willingness of so many individuals who contribute their efforts to the Village Movement. Thank you for stepping up to help! Keep up the good work! 

And a special thanks to each Village [staffed and all-volunteer] who took the time to fill out the survey. I know that each of you has a busy schedule and “one more thing” can easily crowd your plate. Thank you for taking the time to be heard!

Crunching the numbers will take some time, and that work is underway. We hope to have some preliminary results available by mid spring. Stay tuned! We are still checking numerators and denominators to fully profile the participants, but my thanks to each of you who contributed to this important mile-stone. 

I have been associated with Villages at some level for over a decade. This 2025 Village Census Survey is, to my knowledge, the most complete data set on Village structure and functions ever assembled. We have been able to capture the voice of nearly 80% of known operating Villages. A staggering accomplishment!

Our hope is that this information will help in local, regional and national advocacy and fundraising.

Kind regards,

Bill Kincaid

Village to Village Network President