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Census 2020 kicks into gear: First major field operation underway in Peoria and beyond

Posted 9/15/19

Federal, state and local governments are gearing up for Census 2020.

That means some residents of Peoria may hear a knock on their door. But this time around it will only be to confirm your address as census workers have begun address canvassing -- or verifying addresses in order to get an accurate and complete population count.

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Census 2020 kicks into gear: First major field operation underway in Peoria and beyond

Posted

Federal, state and local governments are gearing up for Census 2020.

That means some residents of Peoria may hear a knock on their door. But this time around it will only be to confirm your address as census workers have begun address canvassing -- or verifying addresses in order to get an accurate and complete population count.

It is the first major field operation of the 2020 Census.

Workers will verify address lists across a wide area of physical geography, housing structures and residence types. Inhabitants are not identified.

This is particularly important in areas of new residences, such as the northern part of Peoria, which has seen extreme growth over the past 10 years.

A census count of America’s population is required by the U.S. Constitution each decade.

The city, however, requested a mid-century count, which found Peoria went from 154,058 to 160,242, a 4% increase of 6,184 residents.

As of July 1, 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates Peoria’s population at 172,259.

Having an accurate roster of each address in the city will allow each resident to receive a survey, facilitating an accurate count next year.

Canvassing will be completed Oct. 11.

Planning and Community Development Director Chris Jacques said that with so much development and new residential units coming on-line in Peoria, it is critical all units are accounted for, including new units that may come on-line prior to Census Day, April 1, 2020.

“While this is particularly critical in our high growth nodes like Happy Valley/Lake Pleasant and near Vistancia – we do not want to lose sight of areas that have been traditionally susceptible to an undercount such as hard-to-count areas in southern Peoria and children under 5. This will assuredly be an area of emphasis in the awareness campaign,” Mr. Jacques said.

From 2013 to 2018, Peoria approved 7,735 single-family home permits, most of them in the central to northern part of town. During a period of rapid growth, they increased from 845 in 2013 to 1,562 in 2016, an 85 percent increase.

City officials estimate more than 90% of the city’s residential growth will occur north of Bell Road.

Dennis Johnson, deputy regional director for the Dallas Regional Census Center of the U.S. Census Bureau, said Peoria is an area the bureau is focused on due to its growth.

“We want to make sure that all of the growth and changes in this area and surrounding areas are reflected in the final tabulations from the 2020 Census,” Mr. Johnson said. “In 2010, we did a 100% canvas, which provided our base address list. For 2020, we are canvassing those areas where we have seen significant growth or changes since 2010.”

Improvements

Since the last census, the bureau has made a number of improvements and innovations, including better technologies for canvassing neighborhoods and developing complete and updated address listings and maps.

The Census Bureau created new software called the Block Assessment, Research and Classification Application, which compares satellite images of the United States over time, allowing Census Bureau employees to spot new housing developments, changes in existing homes and other housing units that did not previously exist.

Workers also use BARCA to compare the number of housing units in current imagery with the number of addresses on file for each block.

The innovations have allowed the bureau to hire less workers. In 2010, 150,000 were hired to verify 100% of the addresses in the field; this decade only about 40,000 will need to be hired.

Mr. Johnson said that for the 2020 Census, workers are visiting only about 30% of all residential addresses. These are in areas where there has likely been significant change since 2010, such as high growth areas, or areas that may have been affected due to natural disasters, he said.

“For the 2020 Census we started with a very good basic address list that was compiled for the 2010 Census. Throughout the decade, we were able to maintain and update that list based on U.S. Postal Service files and input from local and state government partners.

“Also we have utilized technology to verify the address lists in many areas.  That is why we will only be verifying 30% of the addresses across the nation,” he said.

“The smaller workload contributes to a smaller workforce for this phase of the census. We do not yet know that financial impact of this reduction, but it will be one of the major areas of savings that will be determined as the census is complete.”

Knock, knock

If a worker comes to your door, he or she will have badges and briefcases indicating their affiliation with the Census Bureau.

They will introduce themselves as a Census Bureau employee, show their official government ID badge, and explain the purpose of the visit, including that all information given is private.

They will ask a few simple questions to verify the address and any additional living quarters on the property for inclusion in the census. Mr. Johnson said guest homes and recreational vehicles on a property are important to confirm so nobody goes uncounted.

Residents who are visited by an address canvasser won’t be answering the actual census questions, but will still need to respond to the census when the official count begins next year.

“During address canvassing our workers are only interested in making sure our address lists are complete and up to date,” Mr. Johnson said.

If an address canvasser visits, here are some tips to confirm their validity:

  • Census takers must present an ID badge that includes a photograph of the field representative, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date.
  • Note that census workers may be carrying a Census Bureau phone or a laptop as well as a bag with a Census Bureau logo.

  • Call 800-923-8282 to speak with a local Census Bureau representative.

Up next

After the canvass is completed every household in the U.S. will receive an invitation to participate in the census no later than April. This will be the first census in which responding will be done online. Residents may also conduct the survey by phone or mail.

The results are critically important because census data helps businesses, researchers, and policymakers make decisions.

The data could show, for example, that the community needs a new fire department or hospital, more funding for school lunches, recycling facilities, infrastructure improvement, or more services for single-parent families.

Each year, the results help determine how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to states and communities.

Mayor Cathy Carlat said that last year, this amounted to nearly $44 million directly into Peoria’s coffers.

By law, the Census Bureau cannot share answers by name with others, including welfare agencies, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Internal Revenue Service, courts, police and the military.

Ms. Carlat said the census is a safe, secure and completely confidential process, and the information provided from residents is not accessible by outside organizations.

“As we gear up for this important process, there has already been a great deal of political rhetoric about what the census is and how the information is used,” she said.

“Accurate census counts are directly tied to the funding streams that affect the quality of life of each Peoria resident. This is far too important to base actions on inaccurate statements that crowd the airwaves, the internet, and the evening news.”

Philip Haldiman can be reached at 623-876-3697, phaldiman@newszap.com, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.

Timeline

Through Oct. 11: Address canvassing by Census Bureau

March 12, 2020: Self-response begins through July 2020

April 1, 2020: Census Day

May 2020-July 2020: Non-response follow-up to households that did not respond

Dec. 31, 2020: Deliver counts to President

Resources

U.S. Census Bureau: census.gov

Maricopa Association of Governments: azmag.gov/Programs/Census-2020

Microsite for Census: iCount2020.info

City of Peoria: peoriaaz.gov