I need to make sure that we all understand that there is a difference between the address on the mailings you receive from the Census Bureau and the physical location of your house.

Some of the addresses on census forms list a city name that is not yours (some even arrive without a city name). Don’t worry.

IF YOU RECEIVED A CENSUS FORM AT YOUR HOME, YOUR RETURN WILL BE COUNTED IN THE JURISDICTION WHERE YOUR HOME IS PHYSICALLY LOCATED.

The 2010 Census mail-out is the largest single delivery ever undertaken by the United States – over 120 million forms were mailed this week. To streamline delivery in a mailing this large, addresses in a particular ZIP code sometimes were all labeled using a single city name that is valid for the ZIP code, even though some people in that area usually receive mail addressed to a different city name. The Postal Service does not have a problem with this because for many addresses there are multiple city names that are perfectly acceptable for accurate delivery.

If you got a form at your address, you’re fine. Fill it out, mail it back, just as it is. We will place your return with the right area. If you got the form, we have coded your house to the right geography.

Please submit any questions pertaining to this post to ask.census.gov

Director Robert Groves