Do you really know who is next door?

The last time an official US Census was taken was in 2000. The next Census will be taken this year, in April, so when someone from the US Census Bureau knocks on your door, be prepared to answers some questions.

And it is probably a good guess that the City of Rancho Santa Margarita’s numbers will be different than they were 10 years ago. Here are some facts from 2000 (and a few others) that might surprise you:

• The population estimate in RSM in 2006: 50, 618
• Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 was 5.9 percent
• The population in 2000 was 47, 214
• High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, in 2000 was 95.1 percent
• Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, in 2000 was 32.8
• Accommodation and foodservices sales, in 2002 ($1,000) was 51,321
• Retail sales per capita in 2002 was $7,607
• Persons under 5 years old in 2000 was 10.2 percent
• Persons under 18 years old, in 2000 was 33.6 percent
• Persons 65 years old and over, in 2000 was 3.4 percent
• Female persons in 2000, was 50.8 percent
• White persons in 2000, (a) 81.6 percent
• Black persons in 2000, (a) 1.7 percent
• American Indian and Alaska Native persons, in 2000 (a) 0.4 percent
• Asian persons in 2000, (a) 7.4 percent
• Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin in 2000 (b) 13.0 percent
• Foreign born persons in 2000, 13.2 percent
• Bachelor's Degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, in 2000, 43.8 percent
• Housing units, in 2000, 16,515
• Median value of owner-occupied housing units, in 2000, $280,700

Source: www.Quickfacts.census.gov