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Why is the Census Important?

Posted on Wednesday July 15, 2009

Data from each decennial census affects how federal and state funding (more than $300 billion a year!) is spent in your neighborhood. This money is spent on public health, transportation, education, community development and much more. Additionally, the census is mandated by the Constitution to be used in apportioning seats in the US House of Representatives. It is also used to redistrict state legislatures and school district assignment areas. Making sure that you spend just ten minutes filling out the census ensures that your community will get its fair share of federal and state funding. And remember, the US Census Bureau protects all the information that you share in the census questionnaire; your name, address, social security number or other ID number, etc., will never be shared or used against you by any government agency or court.

In the past, all households received a short-form Census questionnaire, while one household in six received a long form that contained additional questions, including a question on ancestry. The 2010 Census will be a short-form only census and will count all residents living in the United States and will ask only 10 basic questions (name, sex, age, date of birth, race, Hispanic origin, etc). The American Community Survey, which collects more socioeconomic and demographic information than the short-form Census questionnaire, will continue to ask a question on ancestry or ethnic origin.

For further information on the American Community Survey, please click here. For more information on how the 2010 Census will be different than past years, please click here.

So remember…

• 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.