Five-sixths of American households will receive a form of seven questions, asking for the name, age, sex, race, possibility of Hispanic origin, and homeowner status of everyone in the household, in addition to every residents' relationship to the person filling out the form. The form should take about 10 minutes to complete.

The remaining one-sixth of households will receive a longer form of 34 questions to complete, providing more detailed information about family relationships and history, work status and income, educational level and housing opportunities and costs. The longer form should take about 38 minutes to fill out.

All forms are due April 1.

Information with a Purpose

Census data is used for a variety of purposes by the government and private industry.

The primary purpose, that enumerated by the Constitution, is for political reapportionment, to ensure equal representation at the federal and local levels.

By the end of this year, the U.S. Census Bureau will release information to determine which states will gain or lose Congressional representatives. A few months into 2001, information will be available for local redistricting. The bureau will release more demographic information by the end of 2001, and by 2002 the entire census will be available on CD-ROM, Clinkenbeard says.

Massachusetts lost one seat in the House of Representatives in 1990, but is not expected to lose another this year.