Preparations begin for 2010 census
The U.S. census remains the most important measure to determine the distribution of federal funding throughout the country. Highway construction, community development block grants and school lunch assistance programs rely heavily on federal funding that is tied to census results. To ensure funding, local governments are gearing up for the 2010 U.S. census, cooperating with local Census Bureau tests and providing updated addresses.
In September, the U.S. Census Bureau concluded its first round of tests in preparation for the 2010 census in two locations: Travis County, Texas, and the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Following the last census, bureau officials found that the data collection and enumeration methods needed to be fine tuned to compensate for problems with counting people in dwellings such as college dorms and reservations. Travis County was chosen as a test site because of its high volume of multiple-person dwellings, diverse cultural populations and strong growth, says Pat Waite, associate director of Decennial Census for the U.S. Census Bureau.
With a large segment of its population composed of Latinos, Asian Americans and students, Travis County historically has been a difficult place to gather census data. People in Spanish-speaking communities often did not respond to the English-only questionnaires because they were afraid they would answer incorrectly, Waite says. The new surveys include a set of questions in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese.
Austin, located in Travis County, sees an annual population growth of 3 percent, says city demographer Ryan Robinson, estimating that the population will increase to 780,000 by 2010, possibly 800,000 if annexation plans are passed. Although census testing in the city apparently went smoothly, Robinson says the changes will only be beneficial if they translate to more accurate results in 2010 and, therefore, more federal money.
Local needs for accuracy and awareness accompany the federal government’s need to maximize the efficiency of each dollar spent. To improve accuracy, the Census Bureau recently signed a $600 million contract with Melbourne, Fla.-based Harris Corp. to supply hand-held computers so workers can enter information into the census database remotely. The computers, which are used during follow-up interviews when census mailings go unanswered, come with software that will eliminate the costly paper work and time requirements of the bureau’s previous collection methods.
In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau will conduct another round of tests in Fayettville, N.C., and San Joaquin County, Calif., as the final preparation before the 2010 census. San Joaquin County has been working with the bureau since January to correct any errors in the county’s address registry, says Assistant County Administrator Vic Singh.
By July 2007, all local governments not already participating will be invited to exchange electronic data with the bureau in the months before the census to update the bureau’s database. The information includes new streets, addresses and housing counts, and is part of the bureau’s Local Update of Census Addresses Program.
Chris Carlson is an Atlanta-based freelance writer.
