By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – The 2010 Nebraska census results were released yesterday by UNO's Center for Public Affairs Research.
The state count was 1,826,341 persons, up 6.7% from the last census in April of 2000. Census information is used to determine boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts. Census data also helps determine locations for stores, schools and housing. Partnership Specialist Todd Wilchen attributes the accuracy of Nebraska's 2010 Census to the methods used, including a new, shorter questionnaire. He says, "for the first time we went with the shortest census form in US history. We asked only 10 questions. We asked number of people living in the household, whether the household was rented or owned, the name of the person, their age, date of birth, gender, ethnicity and that was it."
The next major release of 2010 US Census data will take place around March of 2011. At that time, redistricting data including local population counts and information for racial groups will be released.