Census Day: April 1, 2010

What is the census?

• The census is a count of everyone living in the United States. It takes place every 10 years, and a census questionnaire is mailed out to every home in the country.

Why is the census important?

• Census data are used to make decisions about what community services to provide, to distribute $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year, and to determine political representation.

When can I expect my census questionnaire and is it hard to do?

• The questionnaire should arrive in your home in mid-March 2010. Please fill it out and mail it right back, if not you will receive a second follow-up questionnaire. All homes will get a short questionnaire that should take less than 10 minutes to fill out.

Is my information safe, will it be shared with anyone?

• The census is confidential- all census responses are protected by law and it is illegal for any information to be shared with anyone, not even other government agencies.