April 1, 2010:

Census Day

What Is the Census?

• The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years
• The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution
• Your participation in the census is required by law. Everyone should fill out a census form—citizen and non-citizen, young and old.
• It takes less than 10 minutes to complete
• It’s safe. Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
• Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.

More on how the census impacts you!