What can the 2010 U.S. Census tell you about your neighborhood?

By Rachel Pritchett, communicator

What can you learn from the 2010 U.S. Census about the people who live in your midst? Plenty, and what you discover may blow your assumptions of who your neighbors are sky-high.

The Census can tell you about population trends over 10, 20, 30 years, in some cases right down to the street level. It can tell you how about race, age, family configuration, renters v. homeowners, sexual orientation, habits, income levels, and so much more. Much of the 2010 Census is out now.

In my day job as reporter for a mid-sized metro daily, I've been lucky enough to get extensive training to navigate my way around the Census. It's pretty easy now. I am available to do a profile for your congregation, or to guide you through the process. Think of the ramifications to ministry if you knew who really lived next door.

I'll be doing a more thorough explanation and invitation next month. But for those who can't wait to discover the secrets hidden in the Census, contact me anytime at rachelpritchett@msn.com or (206) 498-0920.

P.S. To kind of give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here's a Census-based story I did for the paper. I went in figuring I'd do a story about how much the Hispanic population had grown in the big city of Bremerton. Wrong. It had grown far faster in affluent Poulsbo, Little Norway.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/sep/03/hispanic-population-booming-north-kitsap-census-sa/