Census 2010- March 10, 2010

If you haven't heard yet, the 2010 Census will be here soon. This blog will share some information about the Census over the upcoming weeks.

Let's start at the beginning. The Census is required Article 1, Section 2 of the US Constitution. The first Census was conducted in 1790. Originally, the Census was used primarily to adjust the number or Representatives each state sent to the US House of Representatives.

As the county has expanded, so has the amount of information collected and how that information is used. Please note that personal information is confidential and cannot be released. More information about privacy and the Census can be found here.

The following list shows some ways that data from the Census is used and affects us here in Indiana. (List is provided by Census Indiana.)

1. Decision-making at all levels of government
2. Reapportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives (435)
3. Drawing federal, state, and local legislative districts
4. Drawing school district boundaries
5. Budget planning for government
6. Distribution of over $300 billion in federal funds
7. Monitoring economic trends
8. Forecasting future transportation needs
9. Planning public transportation projects
10. Planning for hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and other health services
11. Planning health and education for people with disabilities
12. Forecasting future housing needs
13. Forecasting population trends
14. Directing funds to services for people living in poverty
15. Directing services to children and adults with limited English skills
16. Designing public safety strategies
17. Urban planning
18. Rural development
19. Land use planning
20. Charting local demographic changes
21. Understanding local and regional labor supplies
22. Estimating the number of people displaced by natural disasters
23. Assessing the potential for spread of communicable diseases
24. Developing assistance programs for low-income families
25. Determining the local impact of Base Realignment and Closure programs
26. Creating maps to speed emergency services to households
27. Making informed business decisions
28. Delivering goods and services to local markets
29. Understanding consumer needs
30. Designing facilities for the elderly, children and people with disabilities
31. Helping community foundations identify the size and nature of their service areas
32. Product planning
33. Locating factory sites and distribution centers
34. Evaluating risk and investment planning
35. Setting community goals
36. Producing economic and demographic reports about the United States and its people
37. Standardizing public and private sector surveys
38. Scientific research
39. Comparing progress between different geographic areas
40. Developing interactive maps for government and business
41. Genealogical research
42. Creating radius reports for business site location
43. Researching school projects
44. Establishing baseline demographics for medical research
45. Developing adult education programs
46. Media planning and research, background for news stories
47. Historical research
48. Evidence in litigation involving land use
49. Locating areas eligible for federal housing assistance and rehab loans
50. Attracting new businesses to an area