Examining Components of Coverage for the 2010 U.S. Census for Several Census Operations

• Activity Number: 540
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
• Author(s): Patrick J. Cantwell*+ and Vincent Thomas Mule
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: components of census coverage ; correct enumeration ; erroneous enumeration ; omission ; duplication ; nonresponse follow-up

Abstract

In recent decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has measured the net coverage of the census of population and housing through a comprehensive post-enumeration survey. Following field work, data collection, matching, and processing, the Census Bureau released estimates of net under- or overcount for the U.S. as a whole, for large geographic areas (e.g., states, large counties and cities), and for major demographic groups, e.g., by race, Hispanic origin, gender, and age group. In the 2010 Census, for the first time on a production basis, the Census Bureau produced estimates of the components of census coverage: correct and erroneous enumerations, whole-person census imputations, and omissions. In this paper, we briefly define these components, and present estimates of coverage for the household population of the United States, and for several census operations, including date of mail return, month of nonresponse follow-up, and type of census response (self vs. proxy). Analysis of these results will help plan improvements to procedures for the 2020 Census.