The U.S. Census Bureau (BOC) is the largest statistical agency of the Federal Government. It conducts:

• the constitutionally mandated (Article 1, Section 2) Census of Population and Housing every 10 years for apportioning seats in the House of Representatives
• eight censuses related to economic entities and state and local governments every 5 years
• more than 100 demographic and economic surveys on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis

The vast array of data the BOC collects describes the Nation’s population, housing, businesses, governmental finances, foreign trade, and other vital characteristics. Its analysis forms the basis for fiscal and policy decisions by the Administration; the Congress; business leaders; state, local, and tribal planners; trade associations; and academicians.

The BOC is composed of three major program areas—Decennial, Economic, and Demographic. Statistical research, financial, administrative, and information technology divisions support the work of these program areas. In addition, a corps of field representatives carries out the direct collection of survey data through 12 regional offices across the United States. We operate three computer-assisted telephone centers. Our National Processing Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana handles data processing, warehousing, publication distribution, and geographic services. The BOC’s headquarters is outside Washington, DC, in Suitland, Maryland, which is located in Prince George’s County.

Our mission is to be the preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. Our goal is to provide our customers with the best mix of timeliness, relevancy, quality, and cost for the data we collect and services we provide. Our mission and goal support the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) mission to promote job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved living standards by working in partnership with businesses, universities, communities, and workers. We do this through the decennial census, quinquennial economic censuses, and numerous economic and demographic surveys that measure changing individual and household demographics and the economic condition of the Nation.