The US Census is a count of the population taken every 10 years since 1790, used for allocating congressional seats and federal funding. Administered by the Census Bureau, it includes basic demographic questions and a more detailed long form. It covers legal residents, illegal immigrants, and those with unusual housing arrangements. Confidentiality measures are in place, and census data is readily available for research purposes.
The United States Census is a count of the population taken in the United States every 10 years since 1790, mandated by the Constitution. Census results are used in a variety of ways, ranging from allocating congressional seats to determining federal funding. The goal of the US Census is to count every single person in the US and to collect basic statistical information about people living and working in the US.
As you can imagine, a project of this magnitude requires some serious planning. Since 1903, the census has been administered by the United States Census Bureau, a government agency that also conducts surveys during non-business years. The Census Bureau has a huge staff of agents that has increased during census years to cover walking communities, ensuring that US Census forms reach as many people as possible.
Two forms are used in the United States Census: the long form and the short form. The short form contains some basic demographic questions, asking for the respondent’s name, age and race. Respondents are also asked to describe their relationship status and housing tenure. In the long form, a more detailed set of questions covers education, ancestry, occupation, and so on. One in six people are asked to fill out a lengthy form, with the resulting data sample used in a variety of ways.
In addition to counting citizens, the US Census also covers legal residents and illegal immigrants. Includes the homeless, people in institutions, and others with unusual housing arrangements. Due to confidentiality concerns, specific census information is kept sealed for 72 years, although general US census data is readily available. This confidentiality measure is designed to encourage people to respond to census forms without fear of legal consequences.
Many people use US Census statistics, and the Census Bureau hosts an excellent website that presents census data in a variety of innovative ways. Detailed data from 72 or more years ago is also readily available and can be extremely useful for people looking to research family ancestors and other topics. Searches of census records are also used by historians to learn more about the people they profile, as those records can be used to find out when someone moved to a new city, got married, or had children.
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