United States census

The United States census is a special count of everyone living in the country that happens every ten years. This count is required by the Constitution of the United States. The first census in the United States was taken in 1790, after the American Revolution, under the leadership of Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Since then, there have been 24 official censuses.

The most recent national census happened in 2020, and the next one is planned for 2030. To make counting easier, the United States Census Bureau has used new technology. In 2020, families could answer questions online, by phone, or on paper forms. Between the big censuses, the Bureau also creates guesses about population sizes using special studies like the Population Estimates Program and the American Community Survey.

Legal basis

The U.S. census is required by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. It says that the number of people in each state must be counted every ten years. This helps decide how many representatives each state gets in Congress.

The United States Census Bureau is in charge of doing the census. They follow rules set in Title 13 of the United States Code. The information people share is kept private.

Procedure

Every ten years, the United States counts how many people live in homes across the country. This includes citizens, people living here legally, long-term visitors, and others. The count focuses on where a person usually lives.

Sometimes, it is hard to know how many people live at an address. In these cases, the Census Bureau uses information from nearby homes to guess the number of people. This method helps complete the count. It was decided to be okay by the U.S. Supreme Court in Utah v. Evans.

Only certain Americans living outside the United States are counted. This includes federal employees, like military workers, and their families. Private citizens living abroad who are not connected to the federal government are not counted. These overseas counts help decide how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Since 1930, "Census Day" has been set for April 1. Before that, the date changed several times. Because people are always moving, the census tries to count everyone where they live or plan to live on this specific day. The counting starts before this date and continues for many months. In 2020, the first answers came in starting January 21 in some parts of Alaska, and March 12 for most Americans.

Applications

Census data help decide how money is spent on important programs. The information is also used to plan roads and transportation, prepare for big events or disasters, study the economy, guide business decisions, and help computer programs understand place names. It is a useful tool for many different kinds of planning and research.

Controversy

The census is sometimes discussed because it helps decide how political power is shared. In the past, some important information was left out because of politics. For example, details about slavery were hidden in the 1850s, and the results of the 1920 census were not used because some leaders were worried about losing influence.

Many people do not always answer the census, which can affect the results. In 2020, there were debates about the census, especially about questions related to immigration. Some people were worried that certain questions might scare people into not answering, which could change how states get their political power and funding.

The census also faced challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it harder to collect information on time. These issues led to many legal discussions and changes in plans for how and when to collect the data.

History

Before the United States had its own rules, many places counted their people. In the early 1600s, Virginia did this, and almost all British colonies that later became the United States also counted their people. Between 1781 and 1786, each state did its own count, and John Kean gathered these numbers for the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

Over time, the country grew and needed more information. The census changed to include new topics, like factories in 1810, fishing in 1840, and social issues in 1850. The census also expanded to include new states and areas. By 1880, there was so much information that it took almost ten years to share all the results. To make it faster, they used special machines made by Herman Hollerith in 1890, cutting the time to just two and a half years.

For the first six censuses from 1790 to 1840, only the head of the house and a general count of family members were recorded. Starting in 1850, every family member was named. Later censuses also looked at farming, industry, and health.

The first nine censuses from 1790 to 1870 were done by U.S. Marshals. They hired helpers from local areas to help count people. These helpers often knew the neighbors they were counting.

Respondent confidentiality

The census helps count people so that resources can be shared fairly. The information collected is used only for general statistics, and it is very important that this information stays private. By law, no one — not even census workers — can share personal details from these records.

Census records are kept private for 72 years before they can be made public. This rule was created a long time ago to protect people’s privacy. The most recent records that became public are from the 1950 census, which were released in 2022. Even important groups like the FBI cannot access these private census records.

Data analysis

Census records keep details about individuals private for 72 years before they become public. But general statistics from past censuses are available right away. You can see records from every census up to 1950 on microfilm from the National Archives and Records Administration. Many libraries and websites also offer free online access to these records.

Researchers can use special census data called microdata from every census since 1790, except 1890, through a project called the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS). There are also scanned copies of old census forms online. We can find aggregate data about small areas from 1790 to 2010 from the National Historical Geographic Information System.

The census office groups the United States into four regions, which are then split into nine divisions. These help organize the data by states.

The United States uses two main ways to measure poverty. The older method, used since the 1960s, looks at pre-tax income and compares it to a set threshold that changes based on family size. This method does not include the value of things like health insurance, food stamps, or housing help.

A newer method started in 2011 tries to give a clearer picture of poverty by also considering things like non-cash benefits and how much things cost in different places. This method has been used by the Census Bureau since 2011.