North Liberty gears up for special census

With a town growing as quickly as North Liberty, our actual population quickly outpaces the official once-every-decade count the federal government is required by the constitution to conduct. For example, in 2010, North Liberty’s official population was 13,374. In just five years later, city officials estimate our population is north of 17,000.
This matters because population is used to determine things such as the apportionment of state road use tax, which cities use to build and maintain roads. And so, the difference makes a big difference to our growing community as we work to improve key infrastructure.
We’ve been working with the US Census Bureau since last year to prepare for the coming special census. . It’s a large undertaking that requires the city to provide office space and equipment, to recruit and pay staff, and work with the US Census Bureau to make sure everyone is counted. The special census is estimated to cost about $310, 000 to conduct. However, staff estimated the city will see an additional $280,000 per year in road use tax. And with the state’s increased gas tax earlier this year, North Liberty should see even more.
Conducting the census will require your help. Take the time to answer when a census taker contacts your household. This will allow us 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.
Additionally, residents can help us fill the paid positions as crew leaders, enumerators and clerical staff. When the jobs open, the US Census Bureau will post them on its website.