The days of having to wait a decade for updated census information about Puerto Rico’s changing population will soon be behind us, thanks to the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS): a new survey the U.S. Census Bureau began mailing in November to 3,000 addresses each month across Puerto Rico.

     The PRCS is more timely than the decennial census long form it replaces, providing decision-makers, communities and businesses with current information about their changing populations every year, rather than once a decade. Information provided by the PRCS includes topics ranging from housing values and educational attainment to commute times and public transportation use.

     “We believe the Puerto Rico Community Survey is the future — not only for the Census Bureau, but also for local leaders, businesses and growing communities,” said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. “For the first time, small communities will have yearly information that will help leaders make better decisions about where to build and locate roads, schools and hospitals. Likewise, businesses will be better able to identify likely markets for their products and services,” Kincannon continued.

     Each year, the Census Bureau will mail the mandatory survey to a random sample of about 36,000 addresses throughout Puerto Rico. Roughly 2.5 percent of Puerto Rico’s population — about 1-in-40 addresses — will participate in the survey each year (or 1-in-8, over a five year period). By comparison, 1-in-6 addresses received the Census 2000 long form.

     The Census Bureau will release data for areas with populations of 65,000 or more annually beginning in summer 2006. For smaller areas, it will take three or five years, depending on their population size, to accumulate a large enough sample to produce data. Once those data are collected, the Census Bureau will release tabulations based on three-year averages annually for areas with populations over 20,000, and five-year averages annually for all areas down to census tracts and block groups (see timeline and additional materials at <http://www.census.gov/acs/www>).

     Addresses selected for the PRCS receive a letter from the Census Bureau director asking them to respond promptly to the survey. Attempts at follow-up interviews of a sample of nonrespondents will be made first by phone and then by personal visit.

     As with the answers to other Census questionnaires, U.S. law guarantees the confidentiality of PRCS responses. All Census Bureau staff take an oath to protect the data collected from respondents. Violating this law is a federal crime with maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

     The PRCS eliminates the need for a census long form in 2010. The census short form will continue to produce the official headcount of Puerto Rico’s population every 10 years.

     For more information, visit the Census Bureau Web site at <http://www.census.gov> or call 1 (800) 361-6891.

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