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This week, hundreds of thousands of county households will receive a letter from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It will contain a simple form with 10 questions about such things as the number of household occupants, their ages and races. This is the 2010 Census, and the county is making a strong push to improve on its 78 percent mail-back rate from 2000.

The stakes in recording accurate population information are not small, so it's important for Montgomery residents to be honest and prompt in responding to the Census (not to mention that it's required by law).

More than $400 billion in federal funding each year is determined by Census data. Bruce Adams, who is heading up the county's Census effort, estimates more than $600 per resident is on the line, so a 2 percent undercount could mean a loss of about $120 million over the 10-year period between counts.

There are also political ramifications. In 2000, largely as a result of a shift from Baltimore city, the county picked up an additional state legislative district (one senator and three delegates) when its population grew to 873,000 from 757,000 in 1990. Those are four more voices to lobby in Annapolis for the needs of Montgomery residents.

If those aren't reason enough, consider this: Census workers are planning to begin knocking on the doors of those who haven't mailed the forms back after the April 1 deadline. And they will be persistent, attempting an in-person interview six times. So, if privacy — one of the reasons often cited for not returning Census forms — is a concern, it may actually be better to just send back the questionnaire.