Census Bureau Has Tallied 99% of Households

Ninety-nine percent of America’s households have been counted for the 1990 census, the Census Bureau announced Sunday.

After a disappointing response to the bureau’s initial mail-back effort, temporary census workers took to the streets to find people who had not responded and to the count them in person.

Commerce Secretary Robert A. Mosbacher termed the 99% mark a milestone and complimented bureau workers.

“Without the willingness of hundreds of thousands of Americans who volunteered and stuck with a tough job, we would not be where we are now,” he said.

With more than 100 million households across the nation, the 99% mark means 1 million homes remain to be counted. Follow-up efforts are scheduled to continue.

In communities where the count is complete, or nearly so, a campaign called “Were You Counted?” is getting under way. Posters in stores and community centers, newspaper advertising and similar efforts are used to encourage people who were missed to contact the Census Bureau so they can be included in the count.

The census is taken every 10 years as required by the Constitution. The results are used to reapportion seats in the House of Representatives and to distribute billions of dollars in federal money.