# The Census - American Community Survey **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 19, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915 "2024-08-19T20:34:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/1 "2024-08-19T20:34:10Z")
I received a short note(tear off ends type card) from the Census. It said a few days ago I should have received a survey. I didn’t . It said, that’s ok if you didn’t. Go this website: ([Login | American Community Survey (ACS)](http://respond.census.gov/acs)) I did. Web page is not available popped up. Is this a scam? ETA: oops that’s not the website I typed that’s in blue up there. I typed: [Login | American Community Survey (ACS)](http://respond.census.gov/acs) Well crap. It did it again. 1. respond 2. dot census 3. dot gov 4. forward slash acs Is what I typed. Weird ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/2 "2024-08-19T20:37:00Z")
It is legit. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/3 "2024-08-19T20:38:56Z")
Thank you. At least I found the right addy. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/4 "2024-08-19T20:56:04Z")
Considering the official US Census is at 10-year intervals and the last one was in 2020, I am VERY suspicious about this. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/5 "2024-08-19T20:56:39Z")
They do things in between. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/6 "2024-08-19T20:57:46Z")
> **[American Community Survey (ACS)](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs)** > > The American Community Survey is the premier source for information about America's changing population, housing and workforce. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/7 "2024-08-19T21:00:54Z")
Sorry, referring to it as a Census (see subject line) threw me. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/8 "2024-08-19T21:31:32Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > ETA: oops that’s not the website I typed that’s in blue up there. It’s the board being helpful by converting a web address into links. To stop it, you can put the address between backtics (the ` character under the ~ character, next to the 1 on most keyboards). So `http://respond.census.gov/acs` is written ```auto `http://respond.census.gov/acs` ``` Any address that ends in `.gov` is from the US government. Can you trust it? The answer might need to go in a different forum. But if something says go to `irs.gov` or `ss.gov` it probably is legitimate. **However** many scams will do things to try and trick you to go to a url that looks right, but is actually wrong. So on your screen you see `https://allyourdata.census.gov`, but the code is actually sending you to `https://scam.example.com` Or sometimes the address is `https://allyourdata.census.gov.scam.example.com` so maybe you don’t notice there is stuff after the `.gov` part. Sorry if that part is confusing, but having a basic understanding of how urls work and what they look like is just a necessary bit of knowledge for surviving the last 20 years. If necessary, you can replace the information about dialing 1 for long distance or how to send a fax with the updated url stuff. I’m sure others can explain it clearer than I do. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/9 "2024-08-19T21:53:07Z")
I think I understand. The card said “United States Census bureau” right on the front. That’s why I called my thread “Census”. I’ll flag my thread to get American Community Survey added. There’s a seal “Department of Commerce”. But it is American Community survey. It also says I’m required by law to complete it. How in hell they gonna police that, I like to know? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/10 "2024-08-19T23:56:22Z")
The US Census Bureau is a part of the Department of Commerce. I don’t think any person has been penalized for failing to complete a Census form. My quick web search says nobody been prosecuted since 1970. The American Community Survey is described upthread. It’s really helpful for the country. Most of the statistical data the US Government gets comes from the ACS - economic data like employment, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/11 "2024-08-20T02:15:54Z")
A kindler, gentler Dept.of Commerce. I suppose.🤭 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/12 "2024-08-20T05:14:20Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > How in hell they gonna police that, I like to know? They’ll nag you a couple more times if you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/13 "2024-08-20T16:45:10Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It also says I’m required by law to complete it. How in hell they gonna police that, I like to know? You do not have to comply, regardless of what they say. They are allowed to contact you three times, I think it is, one may be a visit, usually a phone call. It isn’t that big of a deal even to them, you will just be one missing data point. It was about 20 years or so ago when I decided not to give them the information. I think I got 2 phone calls. I looked into it quite a bit at the time and hidden away is that Congress specifically prohibited any actual fines or consequences for refusal. They do not want any uproar about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/14 "2024-08-20T20:54:11Z")
I am actually surprised that the American Community Survey is still being used. It is a replacement for what used to be the long form census. After all the warnings about sharing personal information, all the issues with providing that information, the distrust of where that information is going, the scam alerts. They must be getting a high refusal rate. So you just fill out a form with all your information, and mail it in, and if you don’t, you are against building new schools and such. Do you trust where this info is going? And will be forever secure? And who is using it? My personal opinion, (this is in My Humble Opinions) is that they have all the information that they need about me already. Feel free to conform, I am still of the “question authority” generation. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/15 "2024-08-20T20:56:27Z")
Here is the form: [The American Community Survey 2020 Questionnaire (census.gov)](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/methodology/questionnaires/2020/quest20.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/16 "2024-08-20T23:17:49Z")
You can do it online. I’ve filled out the form. Haven’t hit submit yet. I’m waiting til I think clearer. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/17 "2024-08-21T00:13:21Z")
I worked at Census as a contractor for a few years. They take their mission very seriously, including the privacy and data protection pieces. I had to swear a legally binding oath not to reveal census data. Which I never had access to, but everyone gets sworn just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/18 "2024-08-21T18:18:46Z")
I had a similar survey, although I’m not sure it was quite the same thing about a month ago (maybe, I mean, what is time?) I did fill mine out, but since the answer to the first question was “There are No children under 18 at this address”, there were no more questions. And I got $5 for filling it out-- it was in the big survey booklet, that I looked at out of curiousity. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/19 "2024-08-21T18:31:59Z")
Hey, they didn’t offer me no $5. The jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915/20 "2024-08-21T18:52:38Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > And I got $5 for filling it out-- it was in the big survey booklet, that I looked at out of curiousity. Was that from the Census Bureau? Because I’ve received mail from the Nielsen people (the ones who rate television and radio) that included a one-dollar bill. A cash reward for completing a survey sounds unlike the Census Bureau. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-census-american-community-survey/1005915.md?page=2)