Residents of St. James and the nation will have a chance to impact the future of their communities by participating in the 2010 United States Census.
Candace Connell, director of community development, explained the importance of participating in the census, which counts everyone residing in the country.
“One important result of the data includes much of the federal funding based on population data. They award grants based on the number of people that live in a particular community. Also from a development perspective for residential and business, the census gives us the demographic information we need to show people what our community is like.”
Connell said residents could expect an advance letter in the mail to prepare them for the survey.
The surveys, which will be mailed in March, will take approximately 10 minutes for each household to complete.
“The counting will be as of April 1 (Census Day) and it is important to mail the survey back quickly. From May to July workers will visit households if surveys aren't returned. By December 2010 all data will be compiled.”
The national census is conducted once every 10 years and shows state population counts and determines representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The census also helps allocate approximately $400 billion of federal grant funding to states and communities.
The data from the census can guide decisions for the location of roads, hospitals, schools, senior citizen centers and more.
The census is still hiring workers. For more information about the 2010 Census visit 2010census.gov.
St. James, Mo. —
