Census Question - encounter with census worker.

Let me start with we filled out our census as soon as we got it...

BUT - the house across the street from me is vacant. It’s supposed to be foreclosed on but it’s been vacant over a year now.

Today my parents come over, kids run out, I go out after and this man sees me come out and comes over to me. He identifies himself as a census worker and asks a bunch of questions about the house. He had an id badge and a census lanyard as well. All I said is it was vacant and when he asked if it was for sale I said I think it’s in foreclosure. He said he was wondering since the car in the drive East had no license plate. He said thanks and went to his car. I went back in with some things my parents brought and came back out. He then asks for my name and phone number.

Is this normal? It seemed kind of creepy to me - so many questions!!!

Census Question - encounter with census worker.

Yes it's normal. He was using you as a proxy to find out if it was occupied so it could be counted. I'm a Census worker. The Census software makes us ask all of those questions.

Message edited 9/5/2020 9:39:01 PM.

Re: Census Question - encounter with census worker.

Census Question - encounter with census worker.

I had the same thing bc my neighbors refuse to answer the door (or fill out the census apparently). Same woman came a few months back and asked if they had an apartment in the house bc they were trying to figure out how many forms to send. Then she came back last week and asked for specifics bc they hadn't filled it out. She did take my name and phone number at the end. Maybe they just forgot at first?

Census Question - encounter with census worker.

I’ve been asked info about my neighbor and they never took my personal info. I probably would’ve refused.

Census Question - encounter with census worker.

You can refuse to give personal info, they just type in refused or unknown. But your info isnt given to anyone else. That's just to make sure the census employee is doing their job.