The Census: A Snapshot

What: The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States.

Who: All U.S. residents must be counted— both citizens and non-citizens.

When: Census Day is April 1, 2010.

Why: The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years. The census will show state population counts and determine representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

How: Census questionnaires will be delivered or mailed to households via the U.S. mail in March 2010. Census workers will visit households that do not return their questionnaires.

2010 Census Timeline: Key Dates

Spring 2009: Census employees go door-to-door to update address lists nationwide.
Fall 2009: Recruitment begins for census takers to support peak workload.
February-March 2010: Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households.
April 1, 2010: Census Day.
May-July 2010: Census takers will visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail.
December 2010: The Census Bureau delivers population counts to the President.

For more information on the Census in general and the 2010 Census in particular, please visit www.census.gov. Or call Census partnership specialist Helen Simon in Vermont at (802) 264-0856.