Status of the 2010 Census

Key Facts & Trends

The Constitution requires that a census of the population be carried out every 10 years. A census is a uniquely demanding operation; years of preparation, enormous manpower resources and major funding are required to ensure a full and accurate count. In less than thirty months, the forms for the Census 2010 will arrive in mailboxes across the nation, and census enumerators armed with hand-held computers and Global Positioning System software will be knocking on doors. A successful census count is critical to both government and private activities at the federal, state and local levels.

 

  • The decennial census relies heavily upon household responses to mailed questionnaires, but response rates have fallen since they were first measured for the 1970 Census. In 1970, the mail response rate was 78.3 percent. In 1980, the mail response rate was 75.0 percent in 1980; and 65 percent in 1990 and 2000.
  • Following the mailing of the census forms, census workers follow up with household visits designed to obtain a full and accurate account. In preparation for the 2010 canvas, the Census Bureau conducted a “dress rehearsal” in 2008 to ensure that new systems and procedures will function properly, but problems were reported with the handheld computers that were to be used by census takers in the field.
  • One of the keys to a full and accurate census count is the maintenance and updating of the Master Address File (MAF). 
  • For the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau had planned to equip census workers in the field with handheld computers, but after problems developed with the computers, a decision was made to revert to a paper-based system in 2010.
  • Census 2000 reduced some of the undercount of the historically missed; the Bureau of the Census reports, for example, that the undercount of African-Americans was cut to less than two percent (1.84%) in Census 2000, compared to an undercount of 4.57% in 1990. Unless a substantial effort is made, these gains could easily be lost in the 2010 Census.
  • In preparation for the 2000 Census, the Census Bureau's Partnership Program enabled Census staff to work closely with state, local and tribal governments and community-based non-profits and businesses to improve the response rate. The Bureau invested $142.9 million on Partnership activities between October 1997 and September 2000. 

  • As part of the FY2008 omnibus appropriations measure passed by Congress in December of 2007, the Census Bureau's Partnership program will receive $9 million this year, $4 milllion less than the amount provided by the House-passed Approprations bill. Underfunding of the Partnership could hurt state and local efforts aimed at reducing the Census undercount in their communities. 

      

     

     

     
     
     
     
     

Policy Implications

The census is a unique national undertaking; the results are the most powerful data collected in the nation.

  • The 2010 Census will have a decade-long political impact. It will be the basis for reapportionment of seats in the House of Representatives among the states; for redistricting Congressional House seats within the states; and for redistricting state legislatures as well as county and municipal elected officials.
  • Together with the vital statistics collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, Census data provide essential inputs for the calculation of birth rates, death rates, migration rates and all other measures of population change.
  • The 2010 census will help to allocate approximately $300 billion in federal grants and billions of additional state dollars for local health, education and transportation programs.
  • Local governments depend on an accurate census count to plan for schools, roads, and the provision of medical services.
  • Because of the long lead-time required to plan and execute a successful census, it is essential that adequate resources be made available in a timely fashion at every stage.
  • If there is large undercount in the 2010 Census, it can be expected that historically underserved communities, including many minorities, will not receive the political representation and the government services they deserve.