Census 2010 Glossary
The 2010 Census From A to Z
Advance Letter A Census Bureau letter sent to alert households that the census questionnaire will be mailed or delivered to them soon.
American Community Survey (ACS)
A monthly sample household survey conducted by the Census Bureau to obtain information similar to the long-form census questionnaire. The ACS is sent to a small percentage of the U.S. population on a rotating basis. First tested in 1995, it will replace the long form for the 2010 Census. Since 2004, ACS has provided annual data for social and economic characteristics for many geographic entities and population groups.
Be Counted Site
The Be Counted program provides a means for people who believe they were not counted to be included in the 2010 Census. Special Be Counted census forms in five different languages—Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Russian, will be available at different locations in the community. Businesses and organizations may agree to be a Be Counted site by donating space to display a Be Counted box with forms in appropriate languages for their location. The Be Counted program runs for about 4 weeks in spring 2010.
A complete enumeration of a population or business and commercial establishments, factories, farms, or governments in an area. (See decennial census.)
An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce and the country’s preeminent statistical collection and dissemination agency. It publishes a wide variety of statistical data about people, housing, and the economy of the nation. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts approximately 200 annual surveys, conducts the decennial census of the United States population and housing, the quinquennial economic census, and the census of governments.
The reference date for collection of information for a census. For the decennial census, this has been April 1 of the decade year (year ending with zero) since the 1930 census. April 1, 2010, is the reference date, Census Day, for the 2010 Census.
Census in Schools (CIS)
A national program component of the 2010 Census with an emphasis on kindergarten through eighth grade students in schools located in hard to count areas. The purpose of Census in Schools is to educate all of the nation’s K–12 students about the importance of the 2010 Census.
An agreement or pledge to carry out a particular task or activity that will in some way help the census achieve its goals.
Complete Count Committee (CCC)
A volunteer committee established by tribal, state, and local governments, and/or community organizations leaders to include a cross section of community leaders, including representatives from government agencies; education, business, and religious organizations; community agencies; minority organizations; and the media. The committees are charged with developing and implementing a 2010 Census outreach, promotion, recruiting, and enumeration assistance plan of action designed to target and address the needs of their communities.
The guarantee made by law (Title 13, United States Code) to individuals who provide information to the Census Bureau, ensuring that the Census Bureau will not reveal information to others.
The census of population and housing taken by the Census Bureau in each year ending in zero. Article 1, Section 2, of the U.S. Constitution requires that a census be taken every 10 years for the purpose of apportioning the U.S. House of Representatives. The first census of population was taken in 1790.
Early Local Census Offices (ELCO)
A temporary office opened to conduct early census operations such as check addresses and develop and refine the Master Address File for mailing census questionnaires.
The process of interviewing people and recording the information on census forms.
A Census Bureau employee who collects census information by visiting households during census field operations.
Governmental Unit (GU)
A geographic entity established by legal action for the purpose of implementing specified general- or special-purpose governmental functions. Most governmental units have legally established boundaries and names. GU officials (elected or appointed) have the power to carry out legally prescribed functions, provide services for the residents, and raise revenues. To meet Census Bureau criteria, a government must be an organized entity that, in addition to having governmental character, has sufficient discretion in the management of its own affairs to distinguish it as separate from the administrative structure of any other governmental unit. To have governmental character, an entity must exist as a legally organized entity and have legallydefined responsibilities to its residents.
Hard to Count (HTC)
Groups or populations who have historically been undercounted and/or traditionally have not responded well to the decennial census questionnaire, such as ethnic/minority populations, renters, low-income, etc.
Hard to Enumerate (HTE)
An area for which the environment or population may present difficulties for enumeration.
Highest Elected Official (HEO)
The elected or appointed person who is the chief executive official of a governmental unit and is most responsible for the governmental activities of the governmental unit such as the governor of a state, chair of a county commission, or mayor of an incorporated place.
A person or group of people who occupy a housing unit as their usual place of residence. The number of households equals the number of occupied housing units in a census.
Housing Unit (HU)
A house, townhouse, mobile home or trailer, apartment, group of rooms, or single room that is occupied as separate living quarters or, if vacant, is intended for occupancy as separate living quarters.
Local Census Office (LCO)
A temporary office established to oversee census operations in a specific area. These operations include address listing field work, local recruiting, and visiting living quarters to conduct the
A method of data collection in which the U.S. Postal Service delivers questionnaires to housing units, based on geocoded addresses (usually city-style mailing addresses) recorded in the Census Bureau’s Master Address File. Residents are asked to complete and mail the questionnaires to a specified data capture center.
Mail Return Rate (MRR)
The total number of households returning a questionnaire by mail divided by the number of estimated housing units that received a questionnaire by mail or from a census enumerator (the only units that can return a questionnaire). This measure cannot be finalized until the enumeration is completed, and the final number of occupied housing units is determined.
Master Address File (MAF)
A Census Bureau computer file of every address and physical location, including their geographic locations, that will be used to conduct the next decennial census, as well as some ongoing surveys. This address file is updated throughout the decade and is supplemented by information provided by tribal, state, and local governments.
A housing unit for which the Census Bureau does not have a completed questionnaire and from which the Census Bureau did not receive a telephone or Internet response.
Nonresponse Follow-up (NRFU)
A field operation designed to obtain a completed interview from households where a questionnaire was not returned. Enumerators will make personal visits to these households to obtain completed interviews. The enumerator will enter respondents’ answers to interview questions or information about the status of the housing unit (for example, vacant or nonexistent). If all attempts to contact the residents of a household are unsuccessful, an enumerator will obtain as much information as possible about the household from a neighbor, building manager, or another reliable source.
A partner is a group or individual that commits to participate in some way with census activities.
An agreement with tribal, state, and local governments, national organizations, and community groups (faith-based organizations, businesses, media, schools, etc.) that allows their active participation in various census activities.
The Partnership Specialist takes a lead role in outreach and promotional efforts before and during census operations. Their main duties are increasing awareness and outreach in communities and gaining cooperation and participation from those communities.
The Privacy Act of 1974 requires that each federal agency advise respondents of their rights. Specifically, every respondent must know under what law the information is being collected, how the information will be used, whether he or she must answer the questions, and the consequences of not answering the questions.
Questionnaire Assistance Center (QAC)
A center established by a local census office to assist people with completing their questionnaires. For Census 2000, the centers were established in community centers, large apartment buildings, churches, and so forth. The centers are staffed by Census Bureau employees. QAC’s are open when census questionnaires are mailed, about 4 weeks from mid-March to mid-April 2010.
Regional Census Center (RCC)
One of 12 temporary Census Bureau offices established to manage census field office and local census office activities and to conduct geographic programs and support operations.
Regional Office (RO)
One of 12 permanent Census Bureau offices that direct and advise local census offices for the 2010 Census. The Regional Office also conducts one-time and ongoing Census Bureau surveys, such as the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is used to publish unemployment figures each month, and the American Community Survey (ACS), a nationwide survey designed to obtain information similar to long-form data and to provide communities a fresh, more current look at how they are changing.
The person who answers the Census Bureau’s questions about his or her living quarters and its occupants. The respondent is usually the member of the household who owns or rents the living quarters.
Title 13 (U.S. Code)
The law under which the Census Bureau operates. This law guarantees the confidentiality of census information and establishes penalties for disclosing this information. It also provides the authorization for conducting censuses in Puerto Rico and the Island Areas.
Refers to any service or activity provided by partners that would ordinarily require payment such as room/ space for testing or training, use of staff time, and use of other business resources.