This Web page covers the following topics:

1. Why should communities participate in LUCA (the "Local Update of Census Addresses" program) ?
2. Which Michigan communities have not registered to participate in LUCA?
3. What can a Michigan community do if it has missed the deadline to participate in LUCA directly?
4. Which addresses are most important to submit?
5. What data and format are required?
6. How can I find out what county, census tract and census block an address is in?
7. Sources for additional information

(1) Why should communities participate in LUCA (the "Local Update of Census Addresses" program) ?
A household will not receive a census form in the mail unless the Census Bureau has its address.  That puts it at risk of being missed by the 2010 Census.  The LUCA program provides an opportunity for units of government to improve their census count by submitting addresses to the Census Bureau for inclusion in the census.

One of the most prominent use of population data is in the distribution of federal funds.  The Census Bureau has estimated that each additional person who is counted by the census will bring $130 in federal funds to their local, county, and state governments each year--$1300 over the ten year period in which 2010 census data will be in use.  Census counts are also used to ensure fair representation when new boundaries are drawn for political districts.  A complete census count will also reduce the likelihood that Michigan will lose a seat in Congress.  Census figures are also also used for a wide variety of other purposes by businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private individuals. 

Any households missed by the census will also be left out of the Census Bureau's annual population estimates for the next ten years, since those estimates use the census as their base.  They will also be  left out of the results of the American Community Survey, the Current Popluation Survey, and any other surveys that are calibrated to the population estimates.

(2) Which Michigan communities have not registered to participate in LUCA?
561 of Michigan's cities, townships, and villages have registered to participate in LUCA.  Another 331 cities and townships are located in the 26 counties that have registered to participate.  The remaining 684 cities and townships are not registered to participate.  

Click here for the participation status of each Michigan community (Excel format) 

Click here for the participation status of each Michigan community (PDF format) 

(3) What can a community do if it has missed the deadline to participate in LUCA directly?
Because the Library of Michigan is registered to participate in LUCA on behalf of the entire state, it can submit addresses on behalf of any Michigan county, city, village, township, or Indian Reservation that provides them in the format described on this website.  Communities that are interested in submitting addresses through the Library should contact the State Demographer, Kenneth Darga (DargaK@michigan.gov).  They will then be notified of any changes to this web page and any new resources that become available.   Addresses must be submitted to the Library in the specified format by March 31, 2008.

(Note that communities that have registered to participate in the LUCA program themselves should submit their information directly to the Census Bureau, according to the instructions that the Census Bureau has provided.  That will enable the Census Bureau to provide feedback on the results of its field work.)

(4) Which addresses are most important to submit?
If a community does not have the resources to determine geographic codes for all of its addresses, the  highest priorities are:

• Addresses that were recently changed from rural-style (box number or rural route) to city-style (number and street);
• Apartments that have been added to existing houses;
• Any non-standard housing units that are located on property with city-style addresses, such as trailers, out-buildings, etc. ;
• New housing units;
• Group-quarter facilities where people live, such as nursing homes, group homes, dormitories, jails, etc..

(5) What data and format are required?
Click here for examples and explanations of the required fields.

OPTION 1

The required information can be provided in a "pipe delimited text file." One way to prepare "pipe delimited text files" is to follow the instructions on the Excel template available through the following link: 
Click here for the Excel template.
Click here to see what the final "pipe delimited text file" should look like.

Another way to produce "pipe delimited" files is to prepare the information in a database program and then export the required fields in pipe-delimited text format.  (For example, a user of FoxPro would select Export from the File menu, and then select "delimited text" as the type of file, and the pipe symbol--which is found just below the backspace key--as the field separator.  The "text delimiter" box should be left blank.)

OPTION 2

The required information can be prepared using a simplified template, and then converted into the format that the Census Bureau requires.  The simplified template allows the entire "first line" of the address to be reported in a single field.  A computer program is being developed to convert the files produced with this template into the format that the Census Bureau requires.

Click here for the simplified template.

(6 How can I find out what county, census tract and census block an address is in?
The county, tract, and block codes can be found on the 2010 Census block maps that have been prepared by Michigan's Center for Geographic Information.

These maps can be used with Acrobat Reader, Adobe Acrobat, or any other software that can read .pdf files.  (To use these files, click on the approximate location of the address in the county map, and move that location to the center of the screen.  Then zoom in, which can be done by increasing the percentage in the box near the top of the screen, by using "Zoom to" from the View menu, or by whatever other method is used with your particular software.)

(7) Sources for additional information
The following additional resources should be helpful:
Census Bureau guide for LUCA participants
LUCA page of Census Bureau website

Updated February 26, 2008