2010 Census Questions : What you need to know about the 2010 Census

What is the Census?

The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years.
The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
The next census is in 2010.
Your participation in the census is required by law.
It takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.

About 2010 Census

What
Count
The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas.
Who
Everyone
All residents of the United States must be counted. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens.
When
Every 10 years
Every 10 years, and the next census occurs in 2010. Census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household in the United States in March 2010. The questions ask you to provide information that is accurate for your household as of April 1, 2010.The Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U.S. President by December 31, 2010.The first Census was conducted in 1790 and has been carried out every 10 years since then.
Where
Everywhere in the U.S.The census counts everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas.People should be counted where they live and sleep most of the year.
Why
The U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 2) mandates a headcount of everyone residing in the United States. The population totals determine each state’s Congressional representation. The numbers also affect funding in your community and help inform decision makers about how your community is changing. More info…
How
The Census Bureau will mail or deliver questionnaires to your house in March 2010. We will mail a second form to households that do not respond to the initial questionnaire.Households that still do not respond will be called or visited by a Census worker. (Census workers can be identified by a census badge and bag.)

Why fill out the census form?

Every household in the country will receive a questionnaire in 2010. To ensure an accurate and fair count of all populations at all geographic levels in the nation, the Census Bureau needs you or someone in your household to respond to the census questionnaire.

It’s important. – Census data affect funding for your community, your community’s representation in Congress and your community leader’s planning decisions. More info. . .
It’s easy. – The census questionnaire takes only a few minutes to answer and return by mail.
It’s confidential. – Your responses are protected by law (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9). All Census Bureau employees have taken an oath to protect confidentiality and are subject to a jail term, a fine – or both – for disclosing any information that could identify a respondent or household. More info…
It’s required by law. – The information you provide is combined with responses provided by your neighbors and other households across the country, to provide summary statistical data that are used by various local, state and federal agencies.

It’s important

Census affects funding in your community
Census data directly affect how more than $300 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That’s more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period. Spending just a few minutes to fill out your census form will help ensure your community gets its fair share of federal and state funding.
Census affects your voice in Congress
Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is also used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to redistrict state legislatures. More information about the 2010 Census Redistricting Data Program. . .
Census affects your representation in state and local government
Census data are used to define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government.
Census informs your community’s decisions
The census is like a snapshot that helps define who we are as a nation. Data about changes in your community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.