This Thursday, April 1, is a special day. It is the official count day of the 2010 US Decennial Census. Every household needs to complete and return the form. Otherwise, this summer they come and knock on your door to ask the questions in person, probably during dinner.
The 2010 Census asks just 10 questions about each person residing at your address on April 1. Most are check-box answers or filling in your age... Easy enough to complete in under 10 minutes, which is how long it took me and my daughter a couple weeks ago. The return envelope doesn't even require a postage stamp!! So much rides on having the most complete count of the population as possible.
The US Census Questionnaire Assistance Center in Washington County is at the Washington Free Public Library at 115 W. Washington Street, on the south side of the town square.
The Census Bureau will do another sample survey of US households requesting more detailed information called the "American Community Survey" which is now done annually. That survey is where a lot of great socio-economic info comes from.
So far, Washington County, Iowa has returned 48% of the expected returns, which is great. The return rate for all of Iowa is currently 42%, so we're ahead of the game. This updated map can be found at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map.
