1. Apportion. State population counts from the decennial census are used to reapportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
2. Redistricting. State and local officials use decennial census results to help redraw congressional, state, and local district boundaries.
3. Money to State and Localities. Census totals help determine the amount of funding that state governments and local communities receive from the federal government for the next decade.
4. Planning. Data from the census inform a wide range of government, business, and nonprofit decision making.
5. Emergency Response. Detailed population information is critical for emergency response in the wake of disasters.
6. A Base for Federal Surveys. Decennial census data provide a population base for dozens of federal surveys.