The City of Macomb and McDonough County will conduct a special census this fall, hoping to increase their official populations.
The last federal census occurred in 2020 during the pandemic. When Macomb officials got their numbers, they felt a large portion of their population was missing.
“We have a long history of being a hard to count community,” Mayor Mike Inman said. “That has to do with a certain mobile or transit community. Those are, in this case, college students.”
Getting the count correct is important. The city receives $140 in state and federal funding every year for each resident. If an additional 1,000 residents are counted, the city could see $700,000 in extra Motor Fuel Tax funding.
Inman said the money could go towards road improvements or additional city personnel.
The U.S. Census Bureau told the city the recount could cost around $300,000, but Inman hopes the final price proves to be less.
The recount will focus on the area around WIU in the city’s northwest quadrant.
“This is a selected geographic area where we believe there was a highest potential for undercounting,” Inman said.
The recount will also include the Georgetown subdivision, which the city recently annexed.
Census cards will be mailed in September to these areas with a link to fill out the online form.
Later in the fall, field representatives will be going door-to-door to collect information from those who did not fill out the online form.
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