What makes the census so costly and time-consuming?

In the 1990 census, only 65 percent of American households voluntarily returned their questionnaires. The most expensive and time-consuming part of that census was following up on those who didn’t return their surveys, Voss says. “Some people didn’t return it because they don’t trust government, some because they thought it was junk mail, some because they were too busy, and some for political or religious reasons.”

Of the total $2.6 billion spent on the 1990 Census, it cost $750 million to follow up on those who didn’t respond. Enumerators had to make six contacts before giving up on a household. That included making five visits at different times of day to each household. On the sixth visit, if the enumerators saw any signs of life around the house, the enumerators could ask a neighbor to provide as much information as possible.

Some people don’t respond to the census because the form is too long, Voss said. The short form of the census goes out to five of every six households, and asks such basics as the number of rooms in the house, the age of each member of the household, and whether the house is rented or owned. The long form of the census, which goes to one out of every six households, includes such items as salaries, Social Security or disability income, and the way someone got to work during the previous week.