2010 Census: Find Out How to be Counted

Published 11-24-2009

The countdown to the 2010 Census has begun.

With Census Day quickly approaching – April 1, 2010 – the participation of community leaders, organizations, and local governments can help make the 2010 Census the most accurate in Census history.

The census is a count of everyone (citizens and non-citizens) residing in the United States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Why is this so important?

Every year the federal government uses Census numbers to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds annually for community programs and services, such as education, housing and community development, health care, services for the elderly, job training, and more.

For every person not counted in Minnesota, approximately $13,000 per person per year is lost in federal aid!

• State and local governments use Census information for planning and allocating funds for new school construction, libraries and other public buildings, highway and public transportation systems, new roads and bridges, and many other projects.

• Community organizations use Census information to develop social service programs, community action projects, senior lunch programs, and child-care centers.

• Census numbers help businesses identify where to locate factories, shopping centers, movie theaters, banks, and offices – activities that often lead to new jobs.

• Census numbers are used to determine how many seats each state will have in the U. S. House of Representatives. In addition, states use the numbers to allocate seats in their state legislatures and for redistricting at the city and county levels of government.

• Getting an accurate – and full – count of Minnesotans in the 2010 U.S. Census will be crucial for maintaining the state’s eight congressional districts. Ryan Dolan, Census 2010 campaign coordinator for the State Demographic Center, said: “We predict we’re 1,787 people away from losing the last seat. We have about 1,700 townships in the state, so if we miss one person in every township, we lose a congressional seat. That’s just one person in every small town in our state.”

The 2010 Census will have one of the shortest census questionnaires since the Census process began in the United States in 1790. The 2010 Census will ask for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and whether the householder owns or rents their home.

The ten questions will take approximately 10 minutes to complete; and the answers will affect people’s lives for the next ten years.

It’s now in your hands. When you receive your survey, fill it out and return it promptly, so that you, your family, your community, and all of Minnesota can benefit.

10 Questions, 10 Minutes, in 2010

For more information go to: www.census.gov