Census

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tinlizzy

Full time employment: Posting here.
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I got the US census in the mail - anyone else?

It wasn't a paper census but rather a directive to go to census.gov and fill it out online. I don't recall the census being so intrusive the last time I did one. Well actually, the first one was on paper when I was about 22, then one by a census taker at the door.

Have they always asked questions about utility bills, Internet, investment income, do I have a mortgage, age of dwelling, a cell phone, time it takes to get to work, employer, welfare, disability, marital status along with the questions I remember like people in household, race, age, number of rooms?
 
I didn't think it was time for it, and didn't get one. I was aware that a few people get the "long form".
 
There is an amazing wealth of data here in the US; as a tool, it is invaluable to investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakes. Census data is probably the most important contributor. We appreciate the time and effort you put into answering these questions. :)
 
Sounds like the American Community survey (ACS). It's part of the Census Bureau, but only sent to a small percentage of the population.
You are still legally required to respond to it.
 
Agree, it does sound like the ACS. We got one around 2007-2008 for the 2010 census. Invasive personal questions, up to and almost including your sex life, but you are required to return it, and they will nag you relentlessly until you do.

braumeister said:
Sounds like the American Community survey (ACS). It's part of the Census Bureau, but only sent to a small percentage of the population.
You are still legally required to respond to it.
Click to expand...
 
My address was selected for a multi-year repeat (2001-2011, I think), IRS questionnaire over crime. Most of the study was complete by the time I moved in. but for the first three years at my current residence, I did get lots of questions annually about my experiences, if any, with crime. Some of these questions were about sex and felt graphic.
One year, the census taker came to the door. I think the other two were by phone and mail.
 
During Jan,Feb and Mar, we had countless attempts by a census worker who kept knocking at door(and leaving those tags), called on phone, and mailed pleading letters, pleading for us to answer questions about our health and our healthcare. Not happening.
Some of the time we were in FL, KY, NY and PA, and that's not any of their business either.
 
[

MichaelB said:
There is an amazing wealth of data here in the US; as a tool, it is invaluable to investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakes. Census data is probably the most important contributor. We appreciate the time and effort you put into answering these questions. :)
Click to expand...

+1. When we want to see where we rank in a lot of areas, the data has to come from somewhere. It's not perfect, we know, at least as far as indoor toilets are concerned :) but it's what we got. I do pity the poor census taker who has to question us about some of these things and deal with compiling it :LOL:
 
Back in the 90s, we got selected to be part of a 2 year tracking of our economic situation. This is the data used for the monthly economic reports.

The first meeting was in person at our house, asking about our job and how much we made. Also a few other intrusive economic questions. After that, she would give us a call once per month and ask if our wage or job changed. Short and sweet.
 
Those people are called "enumerators." My Mother was a Census Enumerator for the 1970 census. I don't think she called anybody, but she had to knock on doors. Her assigned "area" was a fairly nice one (so she wasn't scared to go there). Many of the people who hadn't filled out their forms properly, were old and lonely and glad to talk to the nice lady from the Census. She had stories galore. I still remember the one about the man who had a bunch of pet monkeys, and talked to her with a little monkey sitting on his shoulder like a cat.

Winemaker said:
During Jan,Feb and Mar, we had countless attempts by a census worker who kept knocking at door(and leaving those tags), called on phone, and mailed pleading letters, pleading for us to answer questions about our health and our healthcare. Not happening.
Some of the time we were in FL, KY, NY and PA, and that's not any of their business either.
Click to expand...
 
Amethyst said:
Those people are called "enumerators." My Mother was a Census Enumerator for the 1970 census. I don't think she called anybody, but she had to knock on doors. Her assigned "area" was a fairly nice one (so she wasn't scared to go there). Many of the people who hadn't filled out their forms properly, were old and lonely and glad to talk to the nice lady from the Census. She had stories galore. I still remember the one about the man who had a bunch of pet monkeys, and talked to her with a little monkey sitting on his shoulder like a cat.
Click to expand...

Was there a check box for that? :)

-ERD50
 
I think I may have completed my last census return. We were living in England in 2011 for the last Census here and in future it appears that the government will save ~£482m by collecting its population data from existing sources. Data can be gathered from records held by the Post Office, local government and credit checking agencies - thought to be more effective.
 
ACS. I must have overlooked American Community Survey on the letter (and I've thrown it out) but acs was part of the web address. Thanks for the answer.

I did complete the survey. How are people selected? They obviously knew I have internet already so it hardly felt random. My middle, working class neighborhood has turned into a poor, barely making ends meet neighborhood with quite a few foreclosed houses. I don't feel like I did my "community" any favors filing out that census.
 
That is what they are looking for...change over time. Our very affluent area used to be farms and working class. Used to be Euro-Caucasian; now it's 20% Asian.

There's a 20-page ACS guide https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programs-surveys/acs/about/ACS_Information_Guide.pdf - this is from the intro: ACS is a nationwide survey that collects and produces information on demographic, social, economic and housing characterists about our nation's population every year. This information provides an important tool for communities to use to see how they are changing.

tinlizzy said:
A

I did complete the survey. How are people selected? They obviously knew I have internet already so it hardly felt random. My middle, working class neighborhood has turned into a poor, barely making ends meet neighborhood with quite a few foreclosed houses. I don't feel like I did my "community" any favors filing out that census.
Click to expand...
 
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