The new year will bring a big chore for those counting every Texas County resident – part of the every 10-year event to assess the number of persons living here.
Information from the census count is used to determine political representation, federal monies received and a variety of other funding sources.
In March, every home in the country will receive a census questionnaire. In previous census counts, some homes received a “long form” questionnaire, and most homes received a “short form” questionnaire. In the 2010 census, there will be no long form. Every address will just receive a short questionnaire that should take about 10 minutes to complete, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
On the short form, the questions will include name, age, sex, date of birth, Hispanic origin, race, ethnicity, relationship (to the first name listed on the form) and housing tenure (whether a family owns or rents their home). For the first time, same-sex married couples will be counted.
Individuals and families will fill out the form based on accurate information for their household as of April 1, 2010.
From April through July 2010, census takers will visit homes that did not return the form to the agency. Federal law requires every household to comply with census requirements by filling out a form or responding to a census taker’s questions.
The U.S. Constitution mandates the census where people are counted and information used for a variety of reasons. The data collected is completely confidential and primarily benefits local programs.
Once the Census Bureau has collected the population data for every household in the country, it must provide that data to the president by Dec. 31. In March 2011, census data is provided to the states to enable them to redistrict their U.S. House of Representatives districts. It had been feared that the state might lose a congressional seat, but recent numbers show that may not occur.
The 2010 census of the population of the United States will be the largest undertaken in the country’s history. It will also be the easiest census form due to the elimination of the long form. If every household participates, the country will have accurate data that can be used to provide appropriate services at all levels of government.
April 1, 2010, is Census Day in the United States. That is the official day of the full and complete count of the resident population (legal and illegal) of the United States. The decennial (every 10 years) U.S. Census is an activity that is mandated in the U.S. Constitution. More than $300 billion in federal money is distributed based on census statistics annually.