Both occupied and vacant housing units are included in the housing unit inventory. In constant fiscal year 2000 dollars, the estimated full-cycle cost of the 2000 decennial census of about $6.5 billion is nearly double the $3.3 billion cost of the 1990 decennial census. When full-cycle cost is divided by the number of American households of 117.3 million in 2000 and 104.0 million in 1990, the cost per housing unit of the 2000 census of $56 increased 75- percent compared to the 1990 census cost of $32 per housing unit. For the 1990 census, the bureau marketing effort was limited and it was considerably expanded for the 2000 census. Our objectives were to (1) update full-cycle costs to reflect the most current information and (2) analyze bureau data to determine the causes of the significant increase in cost per housing unit for the 2000 census when compared to the cost for the 1990 census. 5.
What GAO Found

The estimated $6.5 billion full-cycle cost of the 2000 decennial census is nearly double that of the 1990 census. When the full-cycle cost is divided by the number of American households, the cost per housing unit of the 2000 census was $56 compared to $32 per housing unit for the 1990 census. The primary reasons for the cost increases include the following: (1) in the 1990 census, field data collection cost was $16 per housing unit, while in the 2000 census it was $32 per housing unit; (2) in the 1990 census, technology costs were $5 per housing unit compared to $8 per housing unit for the 2000 census; and (3) the data content and products activity cost $3 per housing unit in 1990 and $5 per housing unit in 2000.