It’s In Our Hands Thursday, April 1, 2010

The Census: A Snapshot

What: The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States.

Who: All U.S. residents must be counted—people of all races and ethnic groups, both citizens and non-citizens.

When: Census Day is April 1, 2010. Questionnaire responses should represent the household as it exists on this day.

Why: The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years. 

How: Census questionnaires will be delivered or mailed to households via U.S. mail in March 2010; many households will receive a replacement questionnaire in early April. Census workers also will visit households that do not return questionnaires.

Complete Count: The Importance of Census Data

Every year, the federal government can allocate more than $400 billion to states and communities based, in part, on census data.

Census data guide planning for new hospitals, roads, job training centers, schools and more.

Census data are used to determine the need for additional social services, block grants and other grant programs essential to many communities.

Census data inform a diverse range of local initiatives, from justifying the need for an after-school program to designating urban revitalization areas.

2010 Census Questionnaire: Quick, Easy and Confidential

With only 10 questions, the 2010 Census questionnaire is one of the shortest questionnaires in history and takes just 10 minutes to complete.

By law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s census questionnaire responses with anyone, including other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.