Prince George
County, VA

Counting down to the count


Census Bureau is prepping to tabulate area’s 2020 population, with emphasis on recording each and every resident

The 2020 census is here, and its teams are looking to engage as many people as it can in the Tri-City area.

“Our motto is, ‘We want to count everyone once, and only once, and in the right place,’” said Shirley Gilliam, Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau. “That means wherever you are April 1, that’s where you will be counted.”

The goal of the census is to count every person who lives in each individual locality.

Having a population count is crucial for giving and accurate representation for each locality, and each state in its higher government. States redraw legislative districts in the year following a census, updating population shifts that can affect the way politicians are affected.

One financial concern is the amount of funding that comes into a city. The federal government divides $675 billion annually for schools, roads, transportation, employment, health care and other functions. Each person counted by a locality in the census is worth around $2,000 per person over the 10 years.

If Petersburg’s 2011 recorded population of 32,420 grows 2%, that would mean an extra $1.2 million in federal funding given to the city. Likewise, if the population shrinks 2%, that would mean a loss around $1.2 million.

Census teams met with Petersburg representatives Monday night to talk about their progress so far. Work on the 2020 census has only recently begun. The count doesn’t open for respondents until March. Currently teams are in the education phase - telling people why the census is important and that it’s on the way.

“Getting them the form is not the hard part, it’s whether or not they want to complete it,” said Gilliam. “That’s why I’m going out there to educate, to say you’re going to get this post card. Don’t throw it in the trash.”

Census officials said that Petersburg had a good turnout in the last census. Now in the 2020 census, they are trying to target their efforts on two communities that are hard to reach in the city – Hispanic residents and those living under the Housing Authority, in neighborhoods like Pin Oaks and Pecan Acres.

″(The problem) is they do not trust the government,” Gilliam said. “That’s why my job is to go out into the community to get people who live in the community as trusted voices. They will listen to those voices because they know them.”

She said that lack of trust can come from the thought that information could be used against them. In a confidentiality note, the U.S. Census Bureau explains that it doesn’t share any personal information with offices like the FBI or ICE.

Census officials added that often, a residence in these areas will have five or six people residing in the home, but the owner will only report three or four. Gilliam said she does not share survey numbers with any landlord or property owner.

The Hispanic population was counted at around 1,200 in 2010 but is estimated to have grown by about 1.4%, according to the Census Bureau’s 2018 estimates.

Mistrust combined with the language barrier can be problematic with getting those counts.

James Hendricks worked on the last census, and stayed on through 2014 as the Bureau continued with certain surveys when the census ended.

“When I went into the Hispanic population, they would open their door and you could see the people hiding,” said Hendricks. “The first thing they said is, ‘I don’t speak English.’ It was amazing that they did that every time someone came to the door.”

He said they followed up next with someone who spoke Spanish, trying to gain the trust of residents in that area.

“What people don’t always understand is that if you only answer 9 out of the 10 questions, we will still accept the survey,” Gilliam said.

On the hiring front for the census, Hendricks said that he is looking for 317 workers to engage, educate and ultimately count residents living in the area. Currently only 102 have applied, and 94 are cleared to work, following a background check.

“When people say they’re looking for a job, that’s the last company that they would think of applying to,” Hendricks said.

The pay for these jobs is set at $15 in Petersburg. Surrounding localities like Hopewell, Chesterfield and Hanover have those wages set at $19 and hour for no more than 40 hours per week.

By Sean Jones
Sean Jones can be reached at 804-722-5172 or sjones@progress-index.com.