U.S. Census Bureau wants to count you in
Image courtesy of the U.S. CENSUS BUREAU A rural population map of the local area depicting the few “urban clusters” inside the Silver Valley in brown. Urban clusters are areas with a population of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000. The rest of the unmarked map is considered “rural.” While Cataldo is still considered rural, it does lie in Kootenai County, which is seen by the Census Bureau as a “metro area” and shown in purple on the map.
The 24th annual Decennial Census is right around the corner and the U.S. Census Bureau wants you to not only be counted, but to help them count others as well.
U.S. Census partnership specialist Melinda Thorp explains that this massive operation is built into the foundation of our country and requires a significant amount of participation to complete.
“It’s a huge deal,” she said. “This is the largest, peace-time mobilization of a workforce that happens in our country every 10 years. We hire tens of thousands of people to do this one thing — count every person in the country, regardless of residence status.”
The Decennial Census was put into the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and would reoccur every 10 years from it’s starting year. The first census was taken in 1790 and was conducted by 16 U.S. Marshals and 650 assistants in 18 months. Their final tally was 3.9 million people, which included nearly 700,000 slaves at the time.
The two factors most commonly known by the population regarding the census are that results are used to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives and redistrict particular boundaries and districts. What citizens may not be fully aware of though is how much census data plays a role in how both private and public entities affect their local community.
“There are so many things that are influenced by the population count,” Thorp said. “Everybody is using census data.”
In regard to the private sector, the results of the census can be a deciding factor in whether or not a business decides to come to a community — such as the Silver Valley or Shoshone County.
“Look at your community’s economic development,” Thorp explained. “We’ll use Walmart as an example. Walmart will not open a store in an area until it meets certain thresholds of population, development and resources in an area.”
Another measure the census tracks is a population’s age, which can also be useful to a perspective business.
For example, according to the 2010 Decennial Census, 22.8% of Shoshone County’s population was comprised of persons over the age of 65. This statistic might be interesting to someone in the medical or retirement business that is looking to serve that older population.
On the government side of things, Shoshone County is no stranger to receiving federal funding for a variety of different projects and services. Depending on the circumstances, census data is commonly used by all government agencies to determine who qualifies for what funds.
“We’re all affected by those federal funds in different ways with transportation, schools or emergency services,” Thorp said. “So the population count really impacts what those federal funds are that come into a community.”
Federal funding has been vital to the survival of the Silver Valley for decades following the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Bunker Hill Superfund site in the early 1980s. Since that time, federal dollars have gone toward not only cleaning up mining pollution, but also replacing roads, sewer systems and other essential infrastructure.
If census data was not available or did not show officials that a great number of people — particularly children — could be exposed to the pollution, it’s possible that the cleanup would have never occurred.
Vital local resources such as schools and emergency services also rely on support from federal and state funding.
According to U.S. Census data on rural America, roughly five areas in Shoshone County classify as “urban clusters,” or areas with a population of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000. These five areas roughly include the cities of Smelterville, Kellogg, Osburn, Wallace and Silverton. The rest of the county — and it’s cities — classify as “rural.”
With this information, local businesses, governments, and/or entities can apply for state and federal funding that is available only to those that fit certain requirements — such as population.
For example, the rural and rural cluster classifications may allow Silver Valley school districts to qualify or keep grants that are slated only for low population areas. Those same numbers could also disqualify the Silver Valley school districts from getting or keeping other grants that are slated only for larger districts in urbanized areas. Either way, information from the census plays a critical role.
“There are so many vital programs that are dependent on those funds coming in,” Thorp said.
When it comes to getting all this information, the Census Bureau can run into problems when dealing with what they refer to as “hard to count” populations. These hard to count populations can be based on both geography and age. Rural areas, senior citizens and children are all considered hard to count. Sometimes, this is due simply to people being hard to find in rural America. Other times though, some people don’t want to be found.
Thorp said that the Census works closely with local organizations to solve these hard to count groups, but it really comes down to the participation of residents to get the most accurate numbers.
“When that survey comes in the mail, we want everyone to know about what the Decennial Census is,” she said.
By Census Day on April 1, every home will have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. Once the invitation arrives, residents should respond for their home in one of three ways: online, by phone or by mail. When you respond to the census, you’ll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020.
Census takers will be out in the month of April visiting college students who live on campus, people living in senior centers and others who live among large groups of people. They will also begin conducting quality check interviews to help ensure an accurate count.
From May to July, census takers will then be visiting homes that haven’t responded to the 2020 Census to help make sure everyone is counted.
Thorp said that the Bureau is still hiring for census takers in all areas of Idaho. The position offers competitive pay along with flexible hours and paid training.
To learn more or apply for a census position, visit 2020census.gov/jobs. Thorp asks applicants to be patient, as the application process can be lengthy and response times could be a month or so.
For more information on the U.S. Census Bureau or to participate in the 2020 census, visit 2020census.gov.