Every 10 years, a count of every person living in the United States is conducted as mandated by the U.S. Constitution. It is important that everyone in Franklin County is counted in this national census.
The data collected is used to define our congressional and state legislative districts for the next 10 years. The data also informs the distribution of $675 billion in federal resources to states and communities for education, health care, food assistance, roads and more. It is estimated that $2,372 per person in federal resources will be lost annually for every person not counted in the 2020 Census. If only three out of every 100 Franklin County residents are not counted, the region could lose $50 million in federal resources over a 10-year period. For Franklin County to get its fair share, everyone must be counted.
It’s easy to complete the 2020 census questionnaire. In mid-March, an invitation will be sent to every household to complete the questionnaire online, by phone, by mail, or later by an official census-taker visiting the home. The questionnaire is short and only takes a few minutes to complete.
No one will be asked for Social Security numbers, bank or credit card information or for money or donations. The information gathered is safe and confidential. No court of law, no law enforcement agency, no local, state or other federal agency can access individual responses. In fact, individual information is not published until 72 years after the date of collection (that will be the year 2092!).
If you have a question about the 2020 census or need help getting online, Questionnaire Assistance Centers will be set up at locations across the county. The list of centers will be posted online at www.frcog.org and shared with local libraries, senior centers, or town halls.
Learn more at www.2020census.gov.
This piece was submitted by: Teri Anderson, executive director of MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center; Linda Dunlavy, executive director of Franklin Regional Council of Governments; Gina Govoni, executive director of Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority and Rural Development Inc.; Yves Salomon-Fernández, Ph.D., president of Greenfield Community College; John Waite, executive director of Franklin County Community Development Corp.; and Diana Syznal, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.