As the majority of America is confined to their homes during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the time has come for Census Day on April 1. The day is meant to raise awareness about the 2020 US Census, which provides critical data and determines the funding local governments will receive over the next decade.

Hillsborough Town Commissioner Matt Hughes recently spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Johnson about the census and why it is so important for people to make sure they are counted.

For each person who fills out the census — which can be completed online for the first time — Orange County receives $1,800 in both federal and state funding. This can add up to several million dollars for the county government, money used to finance a wide variety of services such as agriculture, schools and the health department.

Hughes said the Town of Hillsborough alone missed out on nearly a million dollars in sales tax revenue over the previous decade due to census results, coming up around 100 responses short of what was needed. He also stressed that the census is about more than just funding.

“It’s more than that,” Hughes said. “It will help us have better land use projections. It will help us have better bus routes because we’ll be able to pinpoint where people live, and where children might be living and that sort of thing. There’s so much data that comes from the US Census.”

In past years, census-takers went door-to-door to collect data from households. With the coronavirus pandemic causing many states and counties to issue stay-at-home orders, the old method of collection has been rendered obsolete for the time being — something Hughes expects to have a much bigger impact for people in rural communities or without internet access.

By implementing a way for people to fill out the census online, though, federal census organizers have said the current response rate is right in line with projections made prior to the pandemic. Social media has also played a huge part in that, as people take to the internet to share that they’ve completed their census while also encouraging others to follow suit.

“Social media was pretty prevalent 10 years ago, I believe, but certainly not to the extent it is now,” Hughes said. “There’s a lot of social pressure. And sharing with folks that, ‘Hey, I did my census and you should too and it was super easy.’ I feel it is akin to telling people you got the flu shot, although the flu shot might be a little bit more painful than taking the census.”

When completing the census, it’s important for people to note that April 1 is not a deadline of any kind—but more of a reference point, as all data collected should reflect what a person’s living status was on that particular day.

There will still be plenty of time to provide a response, as Hughes noted that after the pandemic has subsided census-takers will be able to go door-to-door again, as well as provide designated sites to take the census for those who are unable to complete it online.

“To underscore its significance, the US Census is only one of two mandated civilian agencies in the constitution,” Hughes said. “The other one being the postal service. So that’s how important this is. I encourage everyone to do it. To fill it out. To get it done. And be counted.”

To respond to the 2020 Census, or to learn more information, click here.

Note: 97.9 The Hill has been Chapel Hill and Orange County’s daily source for free local news since 1953. Please consider making a donation to continue supporting important local journalism like this.