Have You Received the Census Mailing? Short Form vs. Long Form?

3/12/20 The Postal Service has begun delivering the Census 2020 documents to Whitewater area residences. Be on the lookout for the envelope. By responding timely, online if possible, you will eliminate the need for another mailing or for personal contact by a census worker. A full count is essential to ensure that our area receives its share of federal and state benefits and representation.

About 83% of households will receive the Short Form. What Is Asked on the Short Form? The short form asks about six population subjects and one housing subject and takes 10 minutes to complete, on average. What is asked on the short form?

  • Housing (including whether the home is owned or rented)
  • Names
  • Sex
  • Relationships
  • Hispanic origin
  • Race (including ancestry such as German, Polish, Vietnamese, African American, Jamaican, etc.)

What Is Asked on the Long Form? The long form asks about the same subjects as the short form plus 27 more, for a total of 34 subjects. The average household can complete this form in approximately 38 minutes.

  • Marital status
  • Units in structure, number of bedrooms, plumbing and kitchen facilities, year structure built, heating fuel
  • Year moved into residence. Residence five years ago.
  • Place of birth, citizenship and year of entry
  • Educational attainment
  • Language spoken at home
  • Telephone
  • Vehicles available
  • Veteran status
  • Disability
  • Farm residence
  • Grandparents as caregivers
  • Value of home
  • Labor force status
  • Monthly rent
  • Place of work and journey to work, industry, occupation, class of worker
  • Work status last year
  • Shelter costs
  • Income (previous year

The Law Protects Your Answers. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share your answers with others, including welfare agencies, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Internal Revenue Service, courts, police and the military. Anyone who breaks this law can receive up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. The law works — millions of questionnaires were processed during the 1990s without any breach of trust.

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