Plainfield says population growth warrants special census

The village of Plainfield is ready to embark on a special census.

The federal government is mandated by the Constitution to conduct a population count every 10 years. Municipalities can request a special census in between those federal counts if they think their growth has warranted one.

As the sixth-fastest-growing community in Illinois based on the 2020 census, Plainfield’s growth has only continued with additional housing and commercial development in recent years.

To make the special census happen, the U.S. Census Bureau is hiring more than 60 full- and part-time positions, including a special census supervisor, clerks, field supervisors and field representatives with salaries beginning at $22.50 per hour.

Village Administrator Joshua Blakemore said showing the growth since 2020 will help illustrate to commercial developers the need for new businesses in town.

Commercial site selection has become a data-driven process.

“Businesses look to see what boxes a community checks in terms of demographics,” Blakemore said.

Although Plainfield also has seen several large-scale retailers leave locations along Route 59 - most recently Kohl’s in May and Walmart in 2023 - commercial projects continue to sprout up, including Boulevard Place and the Rod Baker Ford Dealership on Route 59.

In addition, groundbreaking has begun on the Woodman’s Food Market on 119th Street and Route 59, and Plainfield’s very own long-awaited Portillo’s is under construction further south along Route 59 at 135th Street, albeit a drive-thru-only location.

Since the 2020 census, Plainfield has added more than 500 new homes and more than 800 new apartments.

“We estimate that Plainfield has grown around 10% since the 2020 decennial census. The next decennial census will not take place until 2030 and will not be certified until probably 2032 at the earliest,” Blakemore said.

In addition to new business development, the new census figures may serve to bring additional tax revenue to the community.

“Many of our revenue streams are on a per-capita basis, including state-shared income tax and motor fuel taxes,” Blakemore said. “By counting this additional population prior to the 2030 census, we estimate Plainfield will capture an additional $1 million in revenue on an annual basis between now and when the 2030 census is certified.

“Assuming our new population is certified in 2026, that could mean well over $5 million in additional revenue prior to the 2030 count.”

Additional revenue then would help fund services and pay for road improvements and “additional staffing as we continue to grow,” Blakemore said.

In late July/early August, the U.S. Census Bureau will send each resident a letter that includes a 12-digit census ID that will be used to complete the special census online.

Online self-responses, which are confidential and private, should take about 10 minutes to complete from July 22 through Aug. 22.

After Aug. 22, the Census Bureau will be sending field representatives to homes to collect responses in person.

Field representatives will be going door to door from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until all household data is collected.

U.S. Census Bureau employees going door to door will have official government ID badges with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date. For information on applying to help with the special census, visit USAjobs.gov.