2,000 volunteers tromp through Palm Beach County, Treasure Coast neighborhoods as census season begins
Think of it as the economic stimulus package that comes along every 10 years.
Roughly 2,000 residents of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast are already tromping through neighborhoods, cashing in on the program more commonly known as the U.S. Census. Before they and thousands more nationwide have completed their work late next year, up to $15 billion will have been spent trying to make sure every man, woman and child is counted.
Unlike in previous census drives, everyone will get the same form, asking for the name, age, race and ethnicity of everyone in the household. Long forms distributed previously are now part of the American Community Survey, which is updated on an ongoing basis.
Stan Smith, director of the department of economic and business research at the University of Florida, said there are plenty of records that could be linked and analyzed to arrive at population figures. With this census expected to cost more than twice the $6 billion it cost in 2000, an administrative census would be far cheaper.
"But there's lots of concerns about privacy and confidentiality," Smith said.