The Census is an actual count of every person living in the country, both citizens and noncitizens. The first Census was done in 1790 and has been done every 10 years since.

The Census was created by the Founding Fathers to empower the people living in the United States. It is often referred to as the ‘cornerstone of American democracy,’ because the Census helped establish how our government works – our system of government guarantees each person living in the United States is equally represented in Congress. Because the Census helps determine the United States population, it also helps determine the number of congressional representatives each state needs.

Every year for the next 10 years, the Federal Government will distribute more than $400 billion to communities throughout the United States to help pay for the programs and services the people in those communities use everyday. The Census determines how much of that funding our community will receive, and your participation makes sure that our community receives our fair share. Our community loses a total of $14,000 in Federal funds for each person that is not counted.

Census forms will be mailed to your home in March and need to be returned by April 1. Please fill them out and return them as soon as possible.

The Census is easy! It is a form with around 10 simple questions that takes about 10 minutes to complete.

The Census is safe! Your identity is safe, and your answers are protected. Every Census Bureau employee takes a lifetime oath to protect the identity of respondents and the confidentiality of their answers. The Census Bureau does not share answers with anyone – not even other government agencies.

The Census is important! The Census helps the community organizations understand what each community needs and helps those organizations plan and pay for those needed programs and services. The Census also helps determine the United States population and the number of congressional representatives each state needs.

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