News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Special censuses have become a point of discussion in the Upper Cumberland as some local leaders have said that the 2020 census was inaccurate.
UCDD Deputy Director Tommy Lee told the UCDD Executive Committee that any city or county that wants one should plan for a twelve to eighteen month process. Lee said once the census itself is completed it must be submitted to UCDD for verification.
“We actually go out and do a field check of the work that has been done by your city or county,” Lee said. “And when we go out and verify, we have to verify at least ten percent of the population with no more than a five percent error rate.”
Lee said a special census usually sees a ten to fifteen percent increase in the population where it is done. Lee said a quick internet search estimates that a census will cost five dollars per person counted, meaning larger cities and counties will have to pay significantly more.
“The 2020 census is probably different than any other census in the history of this country,” Lee said. “And so the results may be significantly larger than previously conducted special censuses.”
Executive Director Mark Farley said counties receive about $1,000 per extra person added with a special census. Overton County Executive Steven Barlow said his county is currently working with a company in Nashville to conduct their own special survey.
“They start with mailers first,” Barlow said. “And then if, like once they don’t receive back, then they do phone calls. If they don’t get that, then you send people out.”
Barlow said their census is projected to cost $8,000 to $25,000 depending on how many people the company has to find.
“They wanted us to partner with a local volunteer fire department and that would bring the cost way down from them having to bring their own people to go door-to-door,” Barlow said.
