Regional offices play a critical role in getting the U.S. Census Bureau's message out to the community. In support of the censuses and surveys, the regional offices' staff serve as contacts for local media, meet with local organizations to improve participation in censuses and surveys, and host workshops to teach the public about the use and value of the Census Bureau's data.

Between 1961 and 2012, the Census Bureau had 12 permanent regional offices located in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Seattle. Offices had an average of 50 permanent, full-time employees and a decentralized staff of approximately 500 field representatives who collected data required for the Census Bureau's surveys.

In June 2011, the Census Bureau announced it would reorganize its regional office structure to reduce costs and improve the quality of its surveys. As of January 1, 2013, the agency will close six of its regional offices. The remaining offices will be located in Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York.