What is a Special Census?
A Special Census is a basic enumeration of population, housing units, and group quarters conducted by the Census Bureau at the request of a governmental unit.* They are conducted on a cost-reimbursable basis. The Census Bureau’s authority to conduct Special Censuses is specified in Title 13, United States Code, Section 196. *For Special Census purposes, a governmental unit is defined as the government of any state, county, city, or other political subdivision within a state, for the government of the District of Columbia or for the government of any possession or area including political subdivisions, American Indian Reservations, or Alaskan Native villages.
