In his latest Gotham Gazette column "Census Likely to Offer Accurate Count of New Yorkers," Social Explorer's Andrew Beveridge assesses the Census Bureau's count of New York City households.  He discusses the improved response rate and practices for correcting gaps and inaccurate data, "In short, the 2010 Census is shaping up to be very accurate and reliable."

Census data collection does not end when you fill out your form or an enumerator knocks on your door.  Some residents are never reached, as illustrated in the map below.  Data is often lacking in certain areas of the city, and the Census Bureau must account for that in its mission to survey every resident of the US.

2000 Data Imputation Rates in New York City

Beveridge explains the Census's strategy of substituting answers where they are missing, "Imputation makes up for many of the problems in data collection, including non-response and inaccurate or misleading information. It improves the quality of the census and the overall results by filling in holes and fixing other problems."

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