United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

Agency overview
Formed	July 1, 1902; 122 years ago (1902-07-01)
Headquarters	Suitland, Maryland, U.S.
Agency executives	Robert Santos, Director Ron S. Jarmin, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer
Parent agency	U.S. Department of Commerce
Website	census.gov

The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and its director is appointed by the President of the United States. Currently, Robert Santos is the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau and Ron S. Jarmin is the Deputy Director.^[1]

The Census Bureau's primary mission is conducting the U.S. census every ten years, which allocates the seats of the U.S. House of Representatives to the states based on their population.^[2] The bureau's various censuses and surveys help allocate over $675 billion in federal funds every year and it assists states, local communities, and businesses make informed decisions.^[3][4][5] The information provided by the census informs decisions on where to build and maintain schools, hospitals, transportation infrastructure, and police and fire departments.^[5]

In addition to the decennial census, the Census Bureau continually conducts over 130 surveys and programs a year,^[6] including the American Community Survey, the U.S. Economic Census, and the Current Population Survey.^[2] The U.S. Economic Census occurs every five years and reports on American Business and the American economy in order to plan business decisions.^[7] Furthermore, economic and foreign trade indicators released by the federal government typically contain data produced by the Census Bureau.