Consumer Reports

Read Census Bureau facts about fathers in the U.S., learn the history of Father’s Day, explore gift ideas, and more.

Population data is used to help allocate federal funding for hospitals, schools, job training centers, bridges, and other important community projects. Help with the count by filling out and mailing your Census form as soon as possible.

“Who would want to be 100 years old?” “Anyone who is 99,” goes the joke. I can’t tell you how happy I’ll be in a few weeks. My family and I will gather in Chicago to celebrate my second cousin’s 100th birthday. Hattie is going strong—doesn’t take any medication and can still belt out a hymn like nobody’s business. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , my centenarian cousin is in good company. It estimates that there were nearly 105,000 centenarians in the U.S. last fall. That’s more than double the number nearly 10 years ago. In 40 years, the number of 100 year olds in the U.S. is projected to jump to 601,000. The Census Bureau also reports that about 80 percent of centenarians are women. To put my cousin’s age in perspective, the year she was born, William Howard Taft was president, the fashion of the day was Late Edwardian, and cars cost $850 . The U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Plessy v. Ferguson, upheld the Jim Crow law of “separate but equal” just 14 years before Hattie (an African American woman) was born, and the Lincoln penny was issued the year before she was born. My cousin was two years old when the Titanic sank , and four years old when World War I broke out. There was no federal income tax or Social Security , and women couldn’t vote yet . There also was no Federal Reserve or National Park Service , and New Mexico and Arizona (and Alaska and Hawaii) weren’t states yet . For fun, I checked the Social Security Administration to see how popular her name was 100 years ago (”Hattie” ranked 73rd), and to see how the popularity of her name changed over time (it fell off of the top 1,000 names list 41 years ago). I also requested a birthday greeting for her from the President. Do you know any centenarians? What was going on the year you were born?

The 2010 U.S. Census survey will be mailed to all U.S. residents in mid-March, opening the door to con artists who will use the program as an opportunity to swindle people out of their money and their identity. The Census questionnaire asks 10 questions, none involving personal financial information such as bank account or credit card numbers or your Social Security number. There have already been reports in parts of the country where people are being asked for financially sensitive information by people pretending to be census takers. Read more…

See Census’ facts on Irish-Americans and the significance of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.

I got mine, did you get yours? It’s March and the Census Bureau is in full gear making sure census forms are delivered to every home in the United States and Puerto Rico. The good news is that it’s easy - when you get your form, just answer the 10 questions and mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope they provide (the form cannot be completed online). It only took me a couple of minutes to complete mine. If you don’t mail the form back, you may receive a visit from a census taker , who will ask you the questions from the form .

I got mine, did you get yours? It’s March and the Census Bureau is in full gear making sure census forms are delivered to every home in the United States and Puerto Rico. The good news is that it’s easy - when you get your form, just answer the 10 questions and mail the form back in the postage-paid envelope they provide (the form cannot be completed online). It only took me a couple of minutes to complete mine. If you don’t mail the form back, you may receive a visit from a census taker , who will ask you the questions from the form .

The national unemployment rate is hovering around 10 percent, but the good news is that the upcoming 2010 Census will create hundreds of thousands of temporary, part-time jobs across the United States. Better Business Bureau offers the following advice on what it takes to work for the Census and tips on how to land a job. Read more…

May is Older Americans Month. Visit USA.gov for health resources for older Americans, plus volunteer opportunities and Census Bureau facts.