Special census count to begin Thursday

Beginning Thursday, Oct. 1, workers with the US Census Bureau will begin counting North Liberty residents. Enumerators will be wearing official US Census Bureau badges for identification.
This special census count is important to a town growing as quickly as North Liberty is, since our actual population quickly outpaces the official once-every-decade count required of the federal government. In 2010, for example, North Liberty’s official population was 13,374. Just five years later, city officials estimate our population is above 17,000.
This matters because census counts are used to determine things such as the apportionment of state road use tax, which cities use to build and maintain roads. So being several thousand people off makes a big difference to our growing community as we work to improve key infrastructure. While the special census is estimated to cost about $310,000 to conduct, we estimate the city will see more than $280,000 additionally in annual road use taxes.
The enumeration will last as long as it takes to get an accurate count, so the special census requires residents’ help. City officials are asking that residents take the time to answer when a census taker contacts their household. This will allow them to get a full and accurate count of our city’s population, which in turn benefits the community by providing additional funding for critical infrastructure.