Staff Writer
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA — 1. How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment or mobile home on April 1, 2010?
We ask this question to help get an accurate count of the number of people in the household on Census Day, April 1, 2010. The answer should be based on the guidelines in the “Start here” section. We use the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.
2. Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?
Mark all that apply
• Children, such as newborn babies or foster children
• Relatives, such as adult children, cousins or in-laws
• Nonrelatives, such as roommates or live-in babysitters
• People staying here temporarily
• No additional people
Asked since 1880. We ask this question to help identify people who may have been excluded in the count provided in Question 1. We use the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.
3. Is this house, apartment or mobile home —
• Owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan? Include home equity loans.
• Owned by you or someone in this household free and clear (without a mortgage or loan)?
• Rented?
• Occupied without payment of rent?
Asked since 1890. Homeownership rates serve as an indicator of the nation’s economy. The data are also used to administer housing programs and to inform planning decisions.
4. What is your telephone number? We may call if we don’t understand an answer.
We ask for a phone number in case we need to contact a respondent when a form is returned with incomplete or missing information.
5. Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person living here who owns or rents this house, apartment or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult living here. This will be Person 1. Print name below.
Listing the name of each person in the household helps the respondent to include all members, particularly in large households where a respondent may forget who was counted and who was not. Also, names are needed if additional information about an individual must be obtained to complete the census form. Federal law protects the confidentiality of personal information, including names.
6. What is Person 1’s sex? Mark ONE box.
• Male
• Female
Asked since 1790. Census data about sex are important because many federal programs must differentiate between males and females for funding, implementing and evaluating their programs. For instance, laws promoting equal employment opportunity for women require census data on sex. Also, sociologists, economists, and other researchers who analyze social and economic trends use the data.
7. What is Person 1’s age and what is Person 1’s date of birth?
Please report babies as age 0 when the child is less than 1 year old.
Age on April 1, 2010
Month, Day, Year of birth
Asked since 1800. Federal, state and local governments need data about age to interpret most social and economic characteristics, such as forecasting the number of people eligible for Social Security or Medicare benefits. The data are widely used in planning and evaluating government programs and policies that provide funds or services for children, working-age adults, women of childbearing age, or the older population.
8. Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?
• No, not of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin.
• Yes, Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano
• Yes, Puerto Rican
• Yes, Cuban
• Yes, another Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin — Print origin, for example, Argentinean, Colombian, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard, and so on.
Asked since 1970. The data collected in this question are needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as under the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. State and local governments may use the data to help plan and administer bilingual programs for people of Hispanic origin.
9. What is Person 1’s race? Mark one or more boxes.
• White
• Black, African Am., or Negro
• American Indian or Alaskan Native — Print name of enrolled or principal tribe.
• Asian Indian
• Chinese
• Filipino
• Japanese
• Korean
• Vietnamese
• Other Asian — Print race, for example, Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Pakistani, Cambodian, and so on.
• Native Hawaiian
• Guamanian or Chamorro
• Samoan
• Other Pacific Islander — Print race, for example, Fijian, Tongan, and so on.
• Some other race — Print race
Asked since 1790. Race is key to implementing many federal laws and is needed to monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. State governments use the data to determine congressional, state and local voting districts. Race data are also used to assess fairness of employment practices, to monitor racial disparities in characteristics such as health and education and to plan and obtain funds for public services.
10. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?
• No
• Yes — Mark all that apply
• In college housing
• In the military
• At a seasonal or second residence
• For child custody
• In jail or prison
• In a nursing home
• For another reason
— If more people were counted in Question 1, continue with Person 2
This is another question we ask in order to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.
