Filling Out the Form

The 2010 census is a short-form only census. It will count all residents living in the United States, as well as ask for name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship and housing tenure (how long you’ve lived at that address). It does not ask for citizenship status. Estimated to take less than 10 minutes to complete, the 2010 census will be one of the shortest and easiest to complete since the nation’s first census in 1790.

2010 Sample Census Questionnaires

These are NOT official forms and should not be filled out. Residents will receive an OFFICIAL Census form as we approach Census Day, April 1, 2010. Request for an official form in one of these languages below can be made by calling the number on the back of the form that is received in the mail.

English Questionnaire
Bilingual Questionnaire - Cuestionario en ingles y espanol
Spanish Questionnaire
Korean Questionnaire
Vietnamese Questionnaire
Simplified Chinese Questionnaire
Russian Questionnaire

Why Does the Census Ask Certain Questions?

Age - Age is central for any number of federal programs that target funds or services to children, working-age adults, women of childbearing age, or the older population. The Department of Education uses census age data in its formula for allotment to states.The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also uses age to develop its mandated state projections on the need for hospitals, nursing homes, cemeteries, domiciliary services and other benefits for veterans.

Gender - Census data about gender is critical because so many federal programs must differentiate between males and females. The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services are required by statute to use this data to fund, implement and evaluate various social and welfare programs, such as the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Laws to promote equal employment opportunity for women also require census data on gender.

Hispanic Origin - Hispanic origin is used in numerous programs and is vital in making policy decisions. This data is needed to determine compliance with provisions of antidiscrimination in employment and minority recruitment legislation. Under the Voting Rights Act, data about Hispanic origin is essential to ensure enforcement of bilingual election rules.

Race - Race is key to implementing any number of federal laws and is a critical factor in the basic research behind numerous policies. Race data is required by federal programs promoting equal employment opportunity and is needed to assess racial disparities in health and access to care, among other uses.

Relationship - The census subject about relationship is essential for classifying the population into families and other groups. Information about changes in the composition of the American family, from the number of people living alone to the number of children living with only one parent, is essential for planning and carrying out a number of federal programs. In federally funded nutrition and education programs, how the money is spent hinges, at least partially, on census data about relationship.

Tenure - Tenure (whether a home is owned or rented) is the most basic feature of the housing inventory. Homeownership rates have served as an indicator of the nation’s economy for decades. The data is an integral component of the formula used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish Fair Market Rents and also are essential for the Federal Housing Authority’s mortgage insurance program. Tenure also is used in calculating homeownership vacancy rates and rental vacancy rates that federal and local agencies use to evaluate the overall viability of local housing markets.

Administrative (Questions 1-5, 10) - While these questions are not required by federal law, the following are ways the information is used: ensuring response accuracy and completeness, contacting respondents with incomplete or missing information, and assigning cases to census operations designed to improve accuracy.