What is census data used for?
• Census data directly affects how almost $400 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That’s more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period. • Census data is used to redistribute Congressional seats to each state based on population and to draw state legislative districts. • The census is like a snapshot that helps define who we are as a nation. Data about changes in your community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers. • See The Census & Civil Rights to find out more about why the census is an important civil rights issue.
