THE 2010 CENSUS IN SANTA MARIA

Mail back your completed census form by the Monday, April 19th deadline. It costs 42 cents postage. However, it costs $57 per household if a Census Taker has to visit a home if the form is not mailed back. A high census response rate will save a significant amount of taxpayer money.

Get Involved to Help
Santa Maria		 Questions about your Census form? Census Calendar
The 2010 Census
(official website)		 2000 and 2008 Santa Maria Census Population Info SBCAG Census webpage

The City of Santa Maria is encouraging all residents to be counted in the 2010 Census. Census Day is April 1, 2010. The information gathered helps determine how State and Federal funding comes to the City, the County, our schools, and non-profit organizations, and will be very useful for numerous businesses and individuals. If Santa Maria is undercounted (if some people are not counted), then our community will not receive its fair share of funding for public services such as job training, emergency services, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and redistricting of elective districts. For every person that is counted in the Census, the Federal government may allocate $2,000 to the jurisdiction where that person lives.

Questions About Your Census Form?

If you received a Census Form with an Incorrect Address, here's what to do.
If You Haven't Received a Census Form here's what to do.
How does the Census Bureau know where to mail Census Forms? Postal & Census Geography

Questionnaire Assistance Centers will be open until April 19th to help answer general questions. Click here to find your local Questionnaire Assistance Center or Be Counted Site by location name (includes days and hours of operation).

Get Involved to Help Santa Maria

Census Logo - multi-colored hands intertwined
The Census Bureau is doing its part to spread this message and needs local agencies' help. For its part, the City is coordinating a Complete Count Committee, open to all community members and groups interested in promoting the 2010 Census. Much of the difficulty in achieving an accurate Census count lies with those persons who are hard to count - people who are unaware of the Census or refuse to be counted. The City also is.cablecasting Census information on its government public access Channel 23 (Comcast) through Santa Maria Community Television.

Santa Maria Complete Count Committee Meeting Minutes:

February 9, 2010
December 7, 2009
September 14, 2009
August 10, 2009

The Santa Barbara County Complete Count Committee Handbook provides statistical information regarding difficult-to-enumerate areas, low mail response areas, and areas with a relatively high concentration of linguistically-isolated households. The handbooks are divided into several sections and include maps, graphs, and tables based on the 2000 Census as well as on more recent data. The information in the book may help you target areas that require special attention and plan the numerous activities relating to Census 2010.

Please check back for future meetings and agendas. If you would like to get involved, please email Management Analyst Mark van de Kamp.

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2000 and 2008 Census Information

2008 Census American Community Survey for Santa Maria

2000 Census Information about Santa Maria

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Census Calendar

Census staff Group Quarters Advance Visit: Contact persons notified February 01 - March 19, 2010
US Postal Services delivers advance letters to households February 17 - March 10, 2010
Questionnaire Assistance Centers: assist respondents with questions February 25 - April 19, 2010
Update/Leave: Census takers update address lists and deliver census questionnaires to households March 01 - March 31, 2010
US Postal Service delivers census questionnaires to household March 15 - March 17, 2010
Be Counted Program: Blank census questionnaires are made available for those who believe they have not been counted March 19 - April 19, 2010
US Postal Service delivers reminder postcards to households March 22 - March 24, 2010
Transitory Locations Enumeration: Individuals with no usual home elsewhere counted in RV parks, campgrounds, hotels, motels, marinas, racetracks, circuses, and carnivals March 22 - April 16,2010
Update/Enumerate and Remote Update/Enumerate: Census takers update addresses and enumerate household members in one visit March 22 - May 29, 2010
Service-Based Enumeration (SBE): Persons counted who receive services at shelters, soup kitchens, or non-sheltered outdoor locations March 29 - Mar 31, 2010
Group & Military Quarters Enumeration: Count of people living in group quarters and military facilities March 30 - May 14, 2010
*** CENSUS DAY *** April 01, 2010
Questionnaire Non-response Follow-up: Census takers visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail and enumerate household members May 01 - July 10, 2010
Non response Follow-up Re-interview: quality control operation May 07 - July 17, 2010
Vacant Address Delete Check: Recheck of addresses designated vacant or not housing units July 24 - Aug 25, 2010