Smaller cities like Hastings will benefit from the change, too, Milligan said. The data will be accessible in computer databases either on disk, online or both, he said, instead of by going through the Census Bureau for information. Every decade, cities get information generated from the census, including age, race, ethnicity and family-size demographics. The long forms, sent to one in every six households for a sampling of the population, provide more specific information about things like education, incomes, work status and characteristics of homes. In the past, Milligan said, income statistics have been especially helpful for Hastings.
Cities can get information for parts of the city as specific as a block area.
But Milligan said block data are too specific to be used effectively by the city. Instead, in 1980 the U.S. Census Bureau began offering cities the option of sectioning the city's data to get an overview of what types of people are in each section. The city took advantage of the free service and obtained statistics about the city in 11 sections. In the 1990 Census, similar data came with a price tag. Next year when census data are available, the city will be able to divide the city into the same 14 sections or be more specific, Milligan said.