Student Affairs - United States Census 2010
In 2010, the U.S. census will define who we are as a nation. Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. As 2010 Census partners, educators can engage many residents who are otherwise difficult to reach because of geography or language barriers or college students who have historically been hard to count. As an education partner, you can help convey to your community the importance of participating in this historic event and ensure no one is left uncounted. Achieving a complete and accurate 2010 Census is in our hands.
The Census: A Snapshot
- The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years.
- The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, both citizens and non-citizens.
- The 2010 Census will create hundreds of thousands of temporary jobs across the nation.
It’s in Our Hands: Your Participation in the 2010 Census Matters
- Every year, more than $300 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based on census data. That’s more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period.
- Census data affect school budgets, specifically distribution of Title I and special education funding and college tuition grant and loan programs.
- Community planners use census data to determine where to build new schools, provide public transportation and build new roads.
- The Census in Schools program teaches students and their families about demography, civics and the value of being counted.
- Census data affect your voice in Congress as well as the redistricting of state legislatures, county and city councils and voting districts.
Completing the 2010 Census Questionnaire: Simple and Safe
- The 2010 Census questionnaire asks only a few simple questions of each person—name, relationship, gender, age and date of birth, race, and whether the respondent owns or rents his or her home. This simple, short questionnaire takes just a few minutes to complete and return by mail.
- The Census Bureau does not release or share information that identifies individual respondents or their household for 72 years.
2010 Census Timeline: Key Date
| Fall 2008 |
Recruitment begins for local census jobs for early census operations. |
| Spring 2009 |
Census employees go door-to-door to update address list nationwide. |
| Fall 2009 |
Recruitment begins for census takers needed for peak workload in 2010. |
| February – March 2010 |
Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households. |
| April 1, 2010 |
Census Day |
| April – July 2010 |
Census takers visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail. |
| December 2010 |
By law, Census Bureau delivers population counts to President for apportionment. |
| March 2011 |
By law, Census Bureau completes delivery of redistricting data to states. |
For more information about the 2010 Census, please go to
www.census.gov/2010census
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