‘Be Murfreesboro, Be Counted’: Special Census Available Online

Residents will receive a census packet containing their special code for entering the information electronically. A pre-paid postage card will also be included in the packet for residents that would rather mail the information to the City of Murfreesboro.

The first Special Census packet will be mailed October 30. Other mailings will follow and only go to those households that fail to respond. The only information needed is the address and first and last names of all people living there. Information is confidential and only for the purpose of the Special Census.

The population of Murfreesboro was last certified in 2011 by the State of Tennessee at 109,031, after an annexation special census count. Currently, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the 2016 population for Murfreesboro to be 131,947. Based on the current number of households along with building permits issued for new residential dwellings, the 2017-2018 population likely exceeds the 2016 estimate.

It’s important to verify the latest population, and imperative that all residents respond. State-shared tax revenues for the City of Murfreesboro rely on this information. For fiscal year 2017-18, the state is paying the City $127.45 per resident in State-shared revenues, which could mean an estimated $2.9 million annually for the City.

“If one assumes that each household averages 2.28 people, we could conclude that we will have added at least 20,000 new residents since the last census,” said Planning Director Gary Whitaker. “Not knowing exactly what the number will be, let’s say the grand total is roughly 131,000 people living in Murfreesboro. At $127.45 per person, that amounts to an additional $2.9 million per year. If the census costs the City $110,000.00—that’s the amount we have budgeted—we would still be ahead in the following fiscal year by $2.8 million, and we would collect the additional $2.9 million every year after that until the 2020 Decennial count.”

In order to verify the accuracy of the census, the City is required to either receive a census survey response from each resident or to personally visit the residents who do not respond. The survey simply requests respondents’ address, and the names of everyone living at that address. It will not be used for any other purpose other than to receive the increase in the state-shared taxes that the city is entitled. It only takes a few minutes.

After the special census results are tabulated this fall and winter, they will be delivered to the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development Division of Research and verified by the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) in March 2018. Other communities conducting a special census will submit their results to the state legislature for ratification during the 2018 legislative session.

Hard copy census forms are available at City Hall. This year’s special census also offers a simple way to complete it online. The link to the online survey is available at the Census link at the top of our website, www.murfreesborotn.gov, or directly at www.murfreesborotn.gov/census. Residents will need their 6-digit code to enter information. The code will be in the packet being mailed from the City.

Special Census letters are also being mailed to special housing locations such as MTSU on-campus housing, apartment complexes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, homeless shelters, group homes, jail and work house facilities.

The Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department will also conduct a door-to-door campaign on unresponsive households in early 2018.