In 2010, the U.S. census will define who we are as a nation. Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. Cranberry Township is beginning now to plan for this historic event and help ensure no one is left uncounted and that our community receives the fiscal and social benefits to which it is entitled. Achieving a complete and accurate 2010 Census is in our hands.

How will the Census benefit Irwindale?

The federal government uses census numbers to allocate more than $300 billion in federal funds annually for community programs and services, such as education, housing and community development, health care services for the elderly, job training and more. Every year, more than $300 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based on census data. That’s more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period.

What did the 2000 Census say about Irwindale

2000 Census: Irwindale Population: 1,446

Census data guide local decision-makers in important community planning efforts, including where to build new roads, hospitals and schools.

Community organizations use census information to develop social service programs, community action projects, senior lunch programs and child-care centers.

The numbers help businesses identify where to locate factories, shopping centers, movie theaters, banks and offices — activities that often lead to new jobs.

Census data affect your voice in Congress by determining how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, California uses the numbers to allocate seats in the state legislature.

Now is the time to start planning for the 2010 Census

The countdown to the 2010 Census has begun, and the U.S. Census Bureau is looking to national, state and local officials and community leaders to ensure an accurate count. With Census Day less than a year away — April 1, 2010 — the Census Bureau has launched a critical national effort that affects the apportionment of congressional seats, and how the federal government annually allocates $300 billion in federal assistance to state, local and tribal governments. For more information concerning the Census and possible jobs, visit the United States 2010 Census website.

2010 Census Timeline: Key Dates

• Fall 2008
• Recruitment begins for local census jobs for early census operations.
• Spring 2009
• Census employees go door-to-door to update address list nationwide.
• Fall 2009
• Recruitment begins for census takers needed for peak workload in 2010.
• February – March 2010
• Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households.
• April 1, 2010
• Census Day
• April – July 2010
• Census takers visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail.
• December 2010
• By law, Census Bureau delivers population counts to President for apportionment.
• March 2011
• By law, Census Bureau completes delivery of redistricting data to states.

• The United States Constitution requires a national census once every 10 years.
• The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, both citizens and non-citizens.
• The 2010 Census will create hundreds of thousands of temporary jobs across the nation.

Completing the 2010 Census Questionnaire: Simple and Safe
The 2010 Census questionnaire asks only a few simple questions of each person—name, relationship, gender, age and date of birth, race, and whether the respondent owns or rents his or her home. This simple, short questionnaire takes just a few minutes to complete and return by mail.

The 2010 Census will have one of the shortest census questionnaires in the history of the United States, dating back to the nation’s first census in 1790. The 2010 Census will ask for name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship and whether the householder owns or rents their home. The census form will take only about 10 minutes on average to complete, and answers are protected by law and strictly confidential. Example of Census Form

The Census Bureau does not release or share information that identifies individual respondents or their household for 72 years. Since the first U.S. Census, in 1790, information has been extremely useful to those tracing their family ancestry. Tips for Genealogists