Introduction
Have you ever wondered why so many people wait anxiously for census information to become available? Why is it important to know how many people live in the state, county, or city? For starters, population figures tell your city government officials if new schools are needed. County government officials look at the numbers to see how much money they should put aside for new roads and services. The state government wants the statistics to determine if more Texans will be sent to the U.S. House of Representatives. In this activity, you will analyze the results of the Census 2000.

Destination Title: U.S. Census Bureau

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Directions
Start at the U.S. Census Bureau Web site.

• Click on Your Gateway to Census 2000.
• Click on American FactFinder.
• In the "Basic Facts" box, make sure "Tables" is selected (not "Maps").
• In the box next to "Show me," click on General Characteristics: Population and Housing in the drop-down menu.
• Click on the arrow next to "for" and select "a State."
• On the next screen, click on the arrow next to "select a state." Move your cursor to Texas and highlight it. Then click on Go.
• The "Quick Tables" for the geographic area of Texas should appear.

Read the following questions, and look for the answers in the table.