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United States Census Bureau
| U.S. Census Bureau | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Suitland, Md. |
| Top official: | Ron S. Jarmin, acting director |
| Year founded: | 1902 |
| Website: | Official website |
The United States Census Bureau is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is overseen by Economics and Statistics Administration. The organization works to collect statistical information on the population of the United States to be used for Congressional reapportionment and the distribution of federal funds, among other uses.[1]
History
The website for the Census Bureau lists the following mission statement:[1]
| “ | The Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy.[2] | ” |
The U.S. Constitution requires that a census of the country's population be taken every 10 years. The first census was done in 1790, and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, this original census revealed "the need for useful information about the United States' population and economy." The census and data were controlled by a temporary census bureau until 1902, when a permanent bureau was established as part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. When the Department of Commerce and Labor was established in 1903, the bureau moved there, and when it split into two separate departments a decade later, the Census Bureau remained with the Department of Commerce.[3]
Leadership
The acting director of the U.S. Census bureau is Ron S. Jarmin.[4] Jarmin is also the agency's deputy director and chief operating officer. He previously served as acting director from 2021 to 2022.[5]
Work and activities
Census gathering activities
The major work of the Census Bureau is to conduct a census of the total population every 10 years.
The Bureau notes the intent of the census on its website, saying, "The census tells us who we are and where we are going as a nation, and helps our communities determine where to build everything from schools to supermarkets, and from homes to hospitals. It helps the government decide how to distribute funds and assistance to states and localities. It is also used to draw the lines of legislative districts and reapportion the seats each State holds in Congress."[6] As of August 2025, preparations for the 2030 census were underway.[7]
To conduct its duties, the Census Bureau is divided into four regions: Pacific, Midwest, South and Northeast. Those regions are divided into nine divisions.[8]
The bureau also performs ongoing surveys and statistical analyses about the nation's communities, economics, and government agencies.[1] That includes the annual American Community Survey, which "is an ongoing annual survey that shows what the U.S. population looks like and how it lives."[9]
In addition, the organization tracks statistics on immigration to the United States, focusing on how many immigrants enter the United States, their characteristics, and how to define and measure international migration.[10]
Notable endorsements
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Finances
On May 30, 2025, President Donald Trump requested $1.68 billion for the Census Bureau in Fiscal Year 2026. That would represent a $294 million increase from the 2024 and 2025 funding levels of $1.38 billion.[11]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Census Bureau'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Census Bureau, "What We Do," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "History and Timeline," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Executive Leadership," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Director," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Our Censuses," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "2030 Census," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Census Regions and Divisions of the United States," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "At a Glance," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ United Nations, "Current Activities Of The U.S. Census Bureau In The Area Of International Migration Statistics," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ The Census Project, "May 2025 Census Project Update," June 3, 2025
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