Q: What is the Census?A: The U.S. Census counts every resident, citizens and non-citizens alike, in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years.
Q: What is the time frame for the forms?A: All forms will be mailed out March 15, 2010.
April 1, 2010 is National Census Day.
Between April and July Census takers will visit all households who do not submit a form by mail.
In December, the Census Bureau delivers population information to the President for apportionment.
Q: What do I have to do?A: In March of 2010, census forms will be delivered to every residence
in the United States and Puerto Rico. When you receive yours, just
answer the 10 short questions and then mail the form back in the
postage-paid envelope provided. If you don't mail the form back, you
may receive a visit from a census taker, who will ask you the questions from the form.
Q: What questions will the Census form ask?A: The 2010 Census form is just 10 questions, such as:
- Name
- Sex
- Age
- Date of birth
- Hispanic origin
- Race
- Household relationship
- If you own or rent
The census DOES NOT ask about the legal status of respondents or their Social Security numbers.
Q: Why is the Census important?A: Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies
in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of
life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims,
prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and
more.
When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of
residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More
services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information
the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion
dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and
services like:
- Hospitals
- Job training centers
- Schools
- Senior centers
- Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
- Emergency services
Q: How does it affect my community?A: The 2010 Census is your community's voice in government. When you fill out the census form, you’re making a statement about what resources your community needs going forward.
Accurate data reflecting changes in your community are crucial in
apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and deciding
how more than $400 billion per year is allocated for projects like new
hospitals and schools.
That's more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period for things like
new roads and schools, and services like job training centers.
Q: How is the information used?A: In addition, residents themselves have used census data to support
community initiatives involving environmental legislation,
quality-of-life issues and consumer advocacy.
- “Low-income families have clearly been targeted in this study.”
The Organic Consumers Association used census data to lobby the
Environmental Protection Agency to halt testing dangerous chemicals on
low-income children in Florida. The testing was eventually stopped due
to the petition. Go to the petition site and read the census data cited to help augment their case
- “This data shows that Phillips has a higher number of both elderly and children under the age of 5 within its boundaries.”
A town in Minneapolis used census data to push for further examination
of the environmental and physiological impact of a proposed energy
facility. Read the actual petition that was filed in court
- “Florida is rapidly being developed, increasing the threats to wildlife”
Save the Manatee Club petitions Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission to step up protection of Florida’s at-risk species using
census data. Go to the official press release
Q: Will my information be kept private?A: Yes. We depend on your cooperation and trust, and promise to protect the confidentiality of your information. Title 13 of the U.S. Code
protects the confidentiality of all your information and violating this
law is a crime with severe penalties. In addition, other federal laws,
including the Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act and the Privacy
Act reinforce these protections. Private information is never published
It is against the law to disclose or publish any of the following information:
- Names
- Addresses including GPS coordinates
- Social Security numbers
- Telephone numbers
We use your information to produce statistics. Your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with
anyone, including the IRS, FBI, CIA or any other government agency.
All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.
For additional information on the 2010 Census, please visit
www.2010.census.gov