The 2020 Census revealed that Urbana’s population declined by seven percent, and with it, there’s a shortfall of $750,000 annually for the next ten years due to the undercount. The City of Urbana has put a call out for citizens to help with the Partial Special Census in Urbana, which kicks off in August and ends in November.
From the City of Urbana’s press release:
SPECIAL CENSUS JOBS ARE NOW OPEN
The United States Census Bureau needs to hire temporary Field Representatives to help
conduct the Partial Special Census in Urbana during August-November 2024. There are
multiple open positions available at a starting wage of $18.83 per hour. Applicants should use
this link when applying for a position: USAJOBS – Job Announcement. Additional positions
will also become available in the coming weeks.According to Urbana Mayor Diane Wolfe Marlin, the Census Bureau will conduct the Partial
Special Census in selected campus neighborhoods to recount areas most impacted by the
COVID-19 shutdown at the University of Illinois. Many students left Urbana just before the
official April 1, 2020, Census date. As a result, they were not counted as residents and the City
of Urbana’s official Census population declined by nearly 7 percent, to 38,336. The Special
Census also will count residents in several new multifamily housing complexes that were built
after 2020. Census outreach will begin in late August in advance of the October 15, 2024,
official date.“We estimate that we are losing $750,000 or more annually due to the 2020 undercount. Over
the 10-year period between official Census counts, this will add up to a loss of millions of
dollars,” Marlin said. “The more accurate our count, the more our community will benefit!”For more information about the City of Urbana, please visit www.urbanaillinois.us.
