Census Information & Statistics

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The Census is a constitutionally mandated count of every person living in the U.S. that occurs every ten years. The intent is to count people once, only once, and in the right place.

Importance of the Census

Census information is used for the following purposes:

Ensure fair representation: reapportion the House of Representatives (435 seats)*
Draw/redraw the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts and voting precincts
Determine how more than $675B of federal dollars are distributed each year (state, county and community programs)**
Inform planning decisions of federal, state and local government (public safety, schools, libraries, roads, health care, housing, veterans, etc.).

Additional Facts, Figures and Resources…

The first U.S. Census occurred in 1790 – 3,929,214 people were counted.

* Since 1913, there have been 435 voting seats in the U.S. House of Representatives which are allocated based on the population distribution throughout the country identified during each census. Every person living in America should be fairly represented and have a say in who represents them in government and how their taxes are used. State House and Senate districts, as well as county commissioner districts, rely on Census counts to ensure fair and equal representation.

** In total, the State of Colorado receives $13.1 billion (~$2,300/person) in federal funds per year. Uncounted people equals unavailable funding. Furthermore, Accurate Census data assists local governments in understanding demographic, economic, and geographic trends needed to inform critical business decisions impacting local economies, governmental revenue, and resident demand for schools, programs, and services.

A History of Vail’s Resident Count

1970: 484 (Vail’s first official census)
1980: 2,261 (467% growth)
1990: 3,659 (162% growth)
2000: 4,531 (124% growth)
2010: 5,305 (117% growth)
2020: 4,835 (8.9% reduction)

Resources

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