Census 2010 – It is in our hands

In March 2010, the Census Bureau will mail questionnaires to more than 130 million addresses across the nation. One of the shortest census forms in history, the 2010 Census questionnaire asks 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. View Video

Completing your census questionnaire is easy, important and safe and your participation is essential to ensuring a brighter tomorrow for our communities.  To view a sample 2010 Census Questionnaire follow the link below.

• Sample Questionnaire (English)
• Sample Questionnaire (Bilingual)

Required once every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution, the census will count every person living in the United States, both citizens and noncitizens. Census data is used to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives, re-district each state and determine the distribution of the Electoral College.

Census data also directly affects how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to state, local and tribal governments. Most importantly, census data is critical in determining locations for new hospitals, improving schools, building new roads, expanding public transportation options and creating new maps for emergency responders.

What’s at Stake?

• Census data is used for a variety of purposes including appropriating money to the state and local communities, apportioning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and helping to guide and inform community decisions.
• Every year the federal government allocates more than $400 billion to the states and communities based partly on census data. Funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation, child care, senior citizen centers and much more.
• Missouri is on the cusp of losing a Congressional Seat. If Missouri does lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, it is forecasted to be by less than 1 percent of the total population. In 2000, Missouri’s response rate was 69 percent.

By participating in the census, you can help create a better future for you and those important to you. Complete and return your form when it arrives. To learn more, visit

• Missouri Census 2010
• 2010census.gov.