Why is the Census important?

• The decennial Census is required by the US Constitution and is used to apportion congressional seats, electoral votes, and federal program funding.
• In 2000, North Carolina was allocated the final (435th) seat over Utah by a margin of only 857 residents. Missing just one hundredth of a percent of North Carolina’s residents would have cost the state a 13th seat.
• With significant population losses projected for the northeast, midwest and regions hit by Hurricane Katrina, states in the southeast, southwest and Pacific northwest are likely to gain congressional seats in 2010. Some projections estimate that North Carolina could gain another seat, making an accurate count even more important to the state.
• Census data directly affect how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That's more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period or $10,000 per person over a decade.
• An accurate census will help ensure North Carolina gets its fair share of federal funding and that both federal and state funds are fairly distributed across North Carolina’s communities.
• North Carolina also uses Census data to define legislative districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government.
• Data about changes in North Carolina’s communities are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.