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Household Surveys

The U.S. Census Bureau compiles information from household surveys to produce statistics that describe populations and their characteristics, such as age, education, housing and income. We collect this data by asking household members to provide information about the people who live in the house, apartment, mobile home or group housing.

To determine the sample of households that are selected to be in a survey, we use a variety of sources, some samples are address-based, others are telephone number- or person-based.

For household surveys, once we select your address, we send you an official letter from the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Because most surveys are “addressed-based,” and we do not know who lives there, most letters are addressed to “the resident of."

  • Depending on the survey, there may be four options for responding: online, completing and mailing back the paper form, over the phone with one of our Contact Center interviewers, or a personal visit with one of our Regional Office field representatives.
  • If we mailed you a form, and we did not receive a completed survey from you, we may follow up with a phone call or personal visit.

 To verify that a household survey is legitimate, please refer to our list of Household Surveys first.  You can also verify that the person contacting you is a Census Bureau employee by entering the name into the Census Bureau Staff Search.  If you still have questions or concerns contact the Regional Office for your state and ask, “Am I in a survey?”

We conduct household surveys:

  • online/internet
  • by mail
  • by phone or
  • in-person

The Census Bureau will always tell you whether your participation is mandatory or voluntary, and we encourage you to answer all questions asked.  To learn more about which surveys require mandatory participation, please find your survey HERE

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