Stand and be counted: 2010 Census takes roll

By K. Jenney Friday, 19 February 2010

LEANDER — In March, the U.S. is taking roll call as the country undergoes its 23rd census. More than 120 million homes will receive a 10-question survey that determines the characteristics of the population by asking for information such as name, gender, race and ethnicity.

Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is designed to count the number of people living in the country every decade and also provide statistics used for allocating more than $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments; distributing congressional seats to states; and making decisions about what community services to fund.

“It’s important to complete the census,” said Jenna Steormann Arnold of the U.S. Census Bureau, Dallas Regional Census Center. “The future of individual communities and states depends on it.”

Since many federally funded programs are based on income and need, the amount of money the government offers a community is proportional to its population.

Arnold said information obtained is kept confidential and is quick to complete.

“It actually takes less time to complete than opening an account at your local video rental store,” she said.

The Census Bureau began the 2010 process in spring 2009 when bureau employees canvassed every street in the U.S. Using hand-held computers with GPS tracking capabilities, they identified every existing and potential residence.

In mid-March, printed census forms will be mailed. Residents are asked to complete and return the data in the postage-paid envelope by April 1—Census Day. Households that do not respond will be visited between April and July by a census taker who manually records data.

Census takers will carry badges that contain a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. They may also carry bags with the census logo on it.

“Residents may ask for the name and telephone number of the census taker’s supervisor at the local census office if they are uncomfortable or would like verification,” Arnold said.

She said census takers should not ask for personal information like social security or credit card numbers. Nor should they solicit donations or e-mail information.

The Census Bureau must deliver population counts to the president no later than Dec. 31, 2010. Redistricting data to states will be delivered by March 2011, and demographic profiles and reports will be released between April 2011 and September 2013.

For more information on the 2010 census, visit www.census.gov.

2006-2008 Census data
		Leander	Cedar Park	United States
House and family
	Average household size estimate:	3.52	3.12	2.61
	Median household income (in 2008 inflation-adjusted dollars):	$68,407	$67,878	$52,175
	Families below poverty level:	5.1%	4.4%	9.6%
Population
	Total population:	22,595	43,484	301.2 million
	Population 25 years and over:	13,420	25,268	197.8 million
	High school graduate or higher:	89.1%	94.1%	84.5%
	Bachelor’s degree or higher:	29.1%	37.2%	27.4%
	White:	83.5%	77.7%	74.3%
	Black or African-American:	2.6%	6.6%	12.3%
	American Indian and Alaska native:	0.5%	0.6%	0.8%
	Asian-American:	1.6%	2.8%	4.4%
	Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander:	0.0%	0.1%	0.1%
	Some other race:	9.1%	8.3%	5.8%
	Two or more races:	2.9%	3.9%	2.2%
	Hispanic or Latino (of any race):	15.1%	17.7%	15.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006–2008 American Community Survey