Current Projects

Residence Rules in the Decennial Census

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Background

This study will examine census residence rule issues and make recommendations for research and testing to develop the most important residence rules for the 2010 census. Recommendations will address potential ways to modify census residence rules to facilitate more accurate counting of the population or identify the reasons why the rules should stay the same.

The panel would consider residence rules in terms of how they contribute to or inhibit an accurate count of the population. Its deliberations may include the appropriate geographic location for enumerating each person but would not include the issue of who should be enumerated in the census: for example, whether civilian citizens who live abroad or undocumented immigrants should be included.

Basic questions of interest in this study include:
1. The formal residence rules (there were 31 in 2000) are the basis for the residence rules instructions on the questionnaire. What kinds of population groups are most likely to be double counted or omitted due to confusion about or inappropriate application of residence rules.
2. What relevant socioeconomic trends are occurring that could explain why one or more residence rules may no longer be relevant or may be difficult to enforce in the census context.
3. What kinds of solutions to residence rule problems should be explored? Possible solutions include:
By law, the Bureau must use "usual residence" (usual place of abode) as the basis for where they count people in the census. Over time, this concept has evolved in the rules to be "where you live or sleep most of the time." This terminology is used in procedures and in the Bureau's methodological explanations that accompany data products. On the questionnaire itself in Census 2000, the term "living or staying" was used. What term(s) should be used to convey the "usual residence" concept? Should terms such as "permanent residence," "legal residence," or some other expression be used? The Canadian form refers to people who "usually live here."
using a de facto count yet still adhere to the "usual" residence rule; or is a de facto count so compelling of an idea that we should consider pursuing a change in the law and abandoning the "usual residence" concept altogether.
adding questions to probe for additional addresses at which a person may have been enumerated and using computerized matching to check for and eliminate duplicate enumerations; and changing specific residence rules to accommodate social trends and be easier for households to apply.
4. Finally, if the panel proposes possible changes to the rules, what kind of test design is necessary to determine if the proposed changes have the anticipated impact.

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Roster

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Staff

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Publications

Once, Only Once, and in the Right Place (2006)