Preparations underway for 2010 Census

The Local Government Council recently helped six Region 2000 localities to prepare for the 2010 Census by updating and reviewing census boundaries, census block groups, and Census Designated Places (CDPs.) This information is used by the U.S. Census Bureau in reporting data from the 2010 Decennial Census, American Community Survey, and other censuses and surveys.

Using Geographic Information System (GIS) software specifically designed to update all census block areas, April Branton, GIS Coordinator, helped localities perform calculations on population and housing unit counts. She also ran verification edits to identify and locate updates to those areas that needed adjustments.

One example where new census tracts were created was around Liberty University, where significant new housing has occurred since the last census.

The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States (all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. It includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens).

Census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household in the United States in March 2010. The questions ask you to provide informaiton that is accurate for your household as of April 1, 2010.

To learn more about the 2010 Census, click here.