It is hard to believe that 10 years has passed since the 2000 Census. Sometime in March Coloradans will receive their census forms in the mail and will be encouraged to complete and return them by Census Day, April 1, 2010. (A prompt return saves us all money as the estimated cost of raising the follow-up response rate by 1% is about $85 million.)
The administration of the decennial Census is a federal activity mandated by the U.S. Constitution. The results are used for congressional apportionment, determination of electoral votes, and allocation of funds for certain government programs.
Because Colorado's population expanded at a much faster rate than the nation's during the "go-go nineties," the state gained a seat in the House of Representatives after Census 2000. This also means that Colorado had more clout in the subsequent presidential elections, with one more electoral vote.
From a funding perspective, 18 of the largest federal grant programs use census data as a metric for apportioning funds. The federal government provided more than $255 billion in funding to states for fiscal year 2004 for these 18 programs, including the largest program, Medicaid. Securing an accurate count is crucial, because on a per capita basis, each person is worth about $826 in federal funding each year through these programs.
The U.S. Census Bureau is working closely with the Colorado State Demographer's Office to conduct the census in Colorado. We encourage you to look at the census information on their website, or contact Barbara Mason with questions at 303-866-3120.
