By Trent Champagne

The 2020 census gives Quincy residents a chance to change the Gem City for the better.

The census counts the exact number of people living in an area, which helps determine how many representatives a state receives in the House of Representatives.

However, the census has more of an impact than just determining where the 435 representatives come from.

For a city like Quincy, the census will provide it local government funding which allows them to keep school districts running and local services to be provided.

The census could also boost Quincy’s economic development as well.

Mayor Kyle Moore was elected in 2013, and has remained the Mayor of Quincy ever since. When attracting businesses and other markets to come to Quincy, leaders use the census to help determine if it is worth the business.

“Many retailers and national chains that look to move into a community look into the size of the population first. The bigger your community is, the more likely you will get on their radar,” Moore said.

Population is not the only factor they use when making such decisions. The City of Quincy’s retail sales per capita is about $10,000 more per resident than the average city in the state of Illinois, which helps Quincy when it comes to spending power. 

The closer Quincy gets to 50,000 residents, the more the population number speaks to various businesses who are thinking about coming to Quincy.

There are many national businesses who do not operate in Quincy. When asked which franchise he would like to see in Quincy, Chandler Garvie, a junior at Quincy University, had his answer immediately.

“Chick-fil-A, easily. I feel like we have almost everything else but Chick-fil-A would be the best here,” Garvie said.

Franchises like Chick-fil-A, and other well-known businesses look at all aspects before coming to open a location. The census plays a big role when businesses conduct their research.

“They are going to look at questions like, do they have the buying power that’s going to  make it profitable for them to move here,” Moore said.

Moore was able to see how the 2010 census impacted Quincy. 

The 2010 census kept Quincy’s funding from the state stable. Many of services that impact citizens such as charities, and government funding allowed Quincy to help all its citizens.

Programs like free and reduced lunch at schools, and soup kitchens and other various actions were able to help many Quincy residents because of the 2010 census.

The best possible outcome for Quincy from the 2020 census is for everyone to be involved.

“The best outcome for Quincy is everybody participates and gets counted. We want to make sure that whether you are a student at QU, an elderly couple, or someone like me, that we get everyone counted so we can see the true demographics of Quincy. That’s the best way to tell our story,” Moore said.

The 2020 census gives residents a chance to impact Quincy and its economic development.