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By mid-March, nearly every household in the United States — including more than 326,000 homes in Prince George's County — will receive a form in the mail with 10 questions from the U.S. Census Bureau for its decennial count.

Touting the fact that census data is used to determine how $400 billion in annual federal funding is distributed to states and municipalities, politicians and community activists throughout the county are encouraging residents to participate and spread the word.

"There's so much connected to it, [from] safety and police to basic government services," said the Rev. Tony Lee of Community of Hope AME Church in Temple Hills, who is coordinating census outreach in his area. "People need to understand the impact of the census and that they need to be counted."

Although the count officially began on Jan. 25 in remote Alaskan villages, 90 percent of the population will be counted through the mail. Census officials are asking residents to mail back the forms — a preaddressed, stamped envelope is included — by April 1.

In 2000, Prince George's County had a participation rate of 71 percent, below the national rate of 72 percent and the state rate of 74 percent, according to data from the Census Bureau. However, a number of communities had participation rates as low as 60 or 50 percent, including neighborhoods in the Temple Hills, Landover, Riverdale and Langley Park areas.

In order to boost overall participation, the Census Bureau will spend an estimated $340 million on advertising, but officials say grassroots outreach by community leaders and organizations will be just as important in areas with traditionally low participation.

"In hard-to-count communities, we rely on the partners to help us with that outreach," said Sylvia T. Ballinger, a Census Bureau spokeswoman. "They are masters in the community. They're on the ground. They're talking to their constituents."

Census officials hope that the simplicity of this year's 10-question form — in 2000, many households received a long form with more than 50 questions — will also increase participation.

The official form is available in six languages — English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese — and census-related informational materials are available in 59 languages, according to Ballinger.

Households that do not mail the form back or that mail back an incomplete form may get a visit from a census taker. Census takers will be required to carry government-issued U.S. Census Bureau identification and can only ask residents for information on the form.

Ballinger said she had not heard any reports of anyone posing as a census worker in order to gain access to home or confidential information, but she said residents have the right to ask a census worker for identification.

2010 Census facts

The decennial census is required by the U.S. Constitution.

The first census was taken in 1790.

Official information about the 2010 Census is available in 59 languages.

The official 2010 Census form will contain 10 questions.

Visit www.2010.census.gov for more information.