Census 2010

Census 2010 Progress

The Census Bureau has released final mail participation rates for the 2010 Census.  Tennessee exceeded the national participation rate with 76% compared to 74% for the nation as a whole.  Tennessee also bettered its 2000 Census participation rate by four percentage points.  Williston in West Tennessee was the city with the highest participation rate at 94%.  Williston was also the most improved place in Tennessee—its 2000 Census participation rate was 31%.

Hawkins, Overton, Van Buren, and Williams Counties led the county participation rates at 82%.  For a map showing rates across the state, click here.  Top cities following Williston were Baneberry, Beersheba Springs, Forest Hills, and Hornbeak.  A spreadsheet showing participation rates in Tennessee cities and counties is presented here.

To check rates for any place in the United States, check out the Census Bureau’s search tool here.

The final mail participation rate is the Census Bureau’s most accurate indicator of the response of residents of the United States to the Census.  The rate is calculated using the number of occupied homes rather than the total number of households, thereby assuring communities with large numbers of vacant homes a fair shake in the measure.  The final 2010 U.S. mail participation rate of 74% was unchanged from the rate in the 2000 Census.  It made sense—dollars and cents—for Tennesseans to mail back Census forms.  A single mail-back short form cost 44 cents while visits from Census Bureau employees were costing up to 44 dollars to collect the same information!

What is the Census?

• The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years.
• The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
• Your participation in the census is required by law.
• It takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
• Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
• Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.

Why is the Census Important?  See "Federal Assistance Programs Reliant in Whole or Part on Decennial Census Statistics to Distribute Funds for the U.S. and States"

This report for FY2008 from The Brookings Institution shows federal assistance programs that rely in whole or in part on data collected through the decennial census of population; Census Bureau estimates (particularly annual population estimates and the American Community Survey) derived from decennial census data; and data produced by other federal agencies that rely on Census Bureau statistics based on the decennial census.

Tennessee ranks 7th in the nation in per-capita federal assistance based on Census counts at $1,918 ($500 per capita higher than the national average).

Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) annually to collect information about selected legally defined geographic areas. The BAS is used to update information about the legal boundaries and names of all governmental units in the United States. The Census Bureau uses the boundary information collected in the BAS to tabulate data for various censuses and surveys, such as the American Community Survey and other Census Bureau programs, such as the Population Estimates Program.

Click here for more information about the 2012 BAS

Census 2010 Timeline

Local Update of Census Addresses program (LUCA)

The Local Update of Census Addresses program, also known as LUCA, is a decennial census geographic partnership program that allows the Census Bureau to benefit from local knowledge in developing its Master Address File (MAF).

Click here for more information about the 2010 LUCA program