Five days remain to avoid a census worker at your door With just five days left for households to mail back their 2010 Census forms, the U.S. Census Bureau wants to remind people that it's not too late to return their completed questionnaires and be counted.

For the first time, the Census Bureau has mailed replacement forms to areas with historically lower mail-response rates. Research shows that the replacement forms will help increase mail response in those areas, which will save a significant amount of money.

The Census Bureau saves about $85 million in operational costs for every percentage point increase in the nation's mail-participation rate. It costs the government just the price of a postage stamp when a household mails back the form. However, it costs the Census Bureau $57 to follow up with a non-responsive household.

If you did not receive a Census form or have misplaced it, visit: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ to find a “Be Counted” or questionnaire assistance center site in your neighborhood, where forms are available. Both the questionnaire assistance centers and the “Be Counted” sites are operational until April 19 and can be found in public areas, such as libraries and community centers donated by businesses and organizations.

Or, call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Center hotlines for assistance seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time. The phone numbers are: English: 1-866-872-6868, Spanish: 1-866-928-2010, Chinese: 1-866-935-2010, Korean: 1-866-955-2010, Russian: 1-866-965-2010, Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010, TDD (hearing impaired): 1-866-783-2010.

All census responses are confidential. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' individually identifiable answers with anyone, including tribal housing authorities, other federal agencies and law enforcement entities.

The Census Bureau also has created tools to help communities track their census participation. The Take 10 Challenge Map shows the latest participation rates, giving users the option to download and embed a local rate tracker “widget” on their own Web site.

The participation rates are posted at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time each weekday. Anyone can visit the 2010 Census Web site at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ to track their state, county or neighborhood's progress. 

ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.