Census-taking will begin in April, and citizens' responses could impact the funding their communities receive, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Communities like Albuquerque benefit from an accurate census count because a lot of those programs are programs that are utilized within the Albuquerque community," said Census Media Specialist Brandale Mills. "Like, for example, your school lunch program. If you don't have an accurate count of the children in your neighborhood and your community, then that funding might be cut. As a result, children might not have access to school lunches in their school.”
Mills says that New Mexico has missed out on significant federal funding because of inaccurate counts in the past. There is an effort to educate the community and get them to complete their census forms correctly so this can be remedied.
“We deserve community development, and the small things like highway infrastructure, school playgrounds and those federal programs really are things that we can benefit from,” Mills said.
More than 130 programs, including Head Start medical assistance, food assistance and Pell grants for college students are determined by census numbers. Data also helps influence infrastructure and investment in areas including new roads and schools and job training. It also helps to reapportion legislative seats in each county and state.
The U.S. Census Bureau is the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and the economy. According to the Census Bureau, there are more than 760,000 households in New Mexico. The average age is 37.7 years, and the population is 48.8 percent Hispanic or Latino.
Additionally, a language other than English is the primary language spoken in 33 percent of homes in the state. The median household income is just over $46,000, and 27.2 percent of children under 18 live in poverty.
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