WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND SLEEP?

The U.S. Census Bureau , a component of the Department of Commerce (DOC) , was established to provide a statistical study of the population every 10 years. In 1790, the first census was taken by U.S. Marshals on horseback and counted 3.9 million people. Census 2000 counted more than 281 million people. This year, the country will be taking part in Census 2010 .

The 2010 Census uses a short questionnaire form to count all residents living in the United States. The questionnaire asks for name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship to head of household and housing tenure. Census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household in the United States around mid-March 2010. The Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U.S. President by December 31, 2010.

All residents of the United States must be counted where they live and sleep most of the year. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas . Participation is mandatory and your personal information is protected by federal law (Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9).

If the form is not mailed back, a census taker may visit the home to ask the questions from the form. If no one answers at a particular residence, a census taker will visit that home up to three times; each time leaving a door hanger featuring a phone number residents can call to schedule the visit.

An accurate count is important because Census data is used to distribute congressional seats to states, define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government. It is also used to decide which community services to provide and to help distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. More information is available on the 2010 Census Redistricting Data Program .

Complete Count Committees (CCC) spread the word about the importance of the 2010 Census to motivate residents in their community to complete and return their 2010 Census questionnaire. CCCs are made up of state, local, tribal and/or community leaders and implement census awareness campaigns. These campaigns will be held until May 2010. Those interested in organizing a committee should call their U.S. Census Bureau Regional Office or visit Census 2010 .

The more detailed socioeconomic information is now collected by the Census Bureau through the American Community Survey . A similar survey, the Puerto Rico Community Survey , is conducted in Puerto Rico.

For additional information, please refer to the Census Bureau's frequently asked questions or call the Census Bureau's national customer service center at 1.800.923.8282 or 1.301.763.INFO (1.301.763.4636). For specific questions, you may wish to contact your nearest U.S. Census Bureau Regional Office . For media/press inquiries, please contact the Census Bureau's Public Information Office .

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