[2] The bureau's various censuses and surveys help allocate over $675 billion in federal funds every year and it assists states, local communities, and businesses in making informed decisions.

[7] Furthermore, economic and foreign trade indicators released by the federal government typically contain data produced by the Census Bureau.

[8] In addition, census data directly affects how more than $400 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and more.

The Census Bureau also conducts economic surveys of manufacturing, retail, service, and other establishments and of domestic governments.

[15] By law, the Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U.S. president by December 31 of any year ending in a zero.

Unsatisfied with this system, De Bow devised another one four years later, with states and territories grouped into an Eastern, Interior, and Western "great section", each divided into a northern and southern half called "divisions".

[27] The United States Census Bureau is committed to confidentiality and guarantees non-disclosure of any addresses or personal information related to individuals or establishments.

The bureau cannot share responses, addresses or personal information with anyone, including the United States or foreign governments, or law enforcement agencies such as the IRS or the FBI or Interpol.

Providing quality data, for public good—while respecting individual privacy and, at the same time, protecting confidentiality—is the Census Bureau's core responsibility; Keeping the public's trust is critical to the Census's ability to carry out the mission as the leading source of quality data about the Nation's people and economy.

In 1918, the Census Bureau released individual information regarding several hundred young men to the Justice Department and Selective Service system for the purpose of prosecutions for draft evasion.

[31][32] During World War II, the United States Census Bureau assisted the government's Japanese American internment efforts by providing confidential neighborhood information on Japanese-Americans.

[33][34] United States census data are valuable for the country's political parties; Democrats and Republicans are highly interested in knowing the accurate number of persons in their respective districts.

[35] These insights are often linked to financial and economic strategies that are central to federal, state and city investments for locations of particular populations.

[36] Such apportionments are designed to distribute political power across neutral spatial allocations; however, because so much is at stake, the census also runs the risk of being politicized.

[38] Ideas about race, ethnicity and identity have also evolved in the United States, and such changes warrant examination of how these shifts have impacted the accuracy of census data over time.

Robert W. Marx, the Chief of the Geography Division of the USCB teamed up with the U.S. Geological Survey and oversaw the creation of the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) database system.

[43] Throughout the decade between censuses, the bureau conducts surveys to produce a general view and comprehensive study of the United States' social and economic conditions.

[44] A network of professional field representatives gathers information from a sample of households, responding to questions about employment, consumer expenditures, health, housing, and other topics.

[58] The six regional offices that closed were Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City and Seattle.

The remaining regional offices are New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles.

To reduce paper usage, reduce payroll expense and acquire the most comprehensive list of addresses ever compiled, 500,000 handheld computers (HHCs) (specifically designed, single-purpose devices) were used for the first time in 2009 during the address canvassing portion of the 2010 Decennial Census Project.

During the 2009 Senate confirmation hearings for Robert Groves, President Obama's Census Director appointee, there was much mention of problems but very little criticism of the units.

[68] In rural areas, the sparsity of cell phone towers caused problems with data transmission to and from the HHC.