What is the Census Bureau?: The Census Bureau conducts the census of the U.S. population every 10 years. It is the largest statistical agency of the federal government, and is within the Department of Commerce.
What the Census Bureau Does: To get the information for the Census, the department conducts large-scale surveys that measure changing individual and household demographics and the economic condition of the nation. The Bureau not only designs and administers the surveys, processes the data and disseminates the results, but they also analyze and report on trends they find in the data.
How the Census Bureau Affects the U.S. Economy: The Census data is used to determine:
- the number of U.S. Representatives for each state
- the boundaries of state legislative districts
- the distribution of billions of dollars of federal funds.
Because the census produces a wide range of information at sub-zip code levels, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governments can use it as the basis for research, planning, and investment.
How the Census Bureau Affects You: Since so many government decisions are made based on the Census data, it affects you in countless ways. Since it mostly behind-the-scenes, you don’t really need to monitor their press releases.
