The objective of the 2010 Census Mail Response/Return Rates Assessment is to assess respondent behavior while implementing a mailing strategy with a replacement mailing. All questionnaires arriving at one of three processing centers (Baltimore, Maryland; Jeffersonville, Indiana; or Phoenix, Arizona) were assigned a date according to when they went through checkin processing. At the peak response times, these dates may not reflect when the questionnaire arrived at a processing center. The Decennial Response Integration System was contractually required to check-in mail returns within 48 hours of receipt (Smith and Osborne, 2011).

The mail response rate is defined as the number of unduplicated nonblank mail returns divided by the number of housing units in the mailback (Mailout/Mailback, Update/Leave, Urban Update/Leave) universe. The mail return rate is defined as the number of unduplicated nonblank mail returns divided by the number of housing units in the mailback universe that were not deleted, identified as vacant, or had an address identified as undeliverable as addressed.

This assessment will evaluate the impact of the mailing strategy on mail response and mail return rates. These rates will be analyzed at the national (without Puerto Rico), state, county, form type (English-only and Bilingual), type of enumeration area, and replacement mailing stratum levels. Mail return rates will also be analyzed by age of householder, race of householder, ethnicity of householder, tenure, and size of household.