2010 Census: Be Counted!

If it hasn’t arrived already, a census form will soon be showing up in your mailbox.  With just 10 short questions, it should take you only about 10 minutes to complete.  It’s extremely important for San Diego County that you do so.

When you fill out the census form, you’re making a statement about resources your community needs. The count affects how many seats California gets in the U.S. House of Representatives and how the state will draw districts.  Census data is used to decide how federal funds will be spent on infrastructure and services.  If San Diego County is to get an appropriate amount of funding, the census needs to accurately record how many people live here.

The information is also used by many organizations and individuals to help guide decisions on everything from business marketing to health research.

Included with the form is a postage-paid envelope.  Mailing it back is not only convenient – it saves money.  It costs $57 to send a census taker to a household that fails to mail in the form.  The Census Bureau estimates that if every household completed and mailed in the form, with no door-to-door follow-up, it would save taxpayers $1.5 billion.

You can learn much more about the census, including how to participate and how your information is protected, by visiting the 2010 Census Web site.    

The state is also promoting participation in the census through the California Complete Count Web site.