2020 Census results show population increase in Yuma County
The 2020 Census shows that the population is increasing, but local leaders believe the number is even higher, Luis Lopez reports
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA,KECY) - Results from the 2020 U.S. Census are officially in, and they’re showing a population increase in Yuma County. However, local leaders thought they would see an even bigger jump.
Every 10 years the census helps to track important data that can help to determine things like funding and congressional district lines. Data from the 2020 Census shows that since 2010, the population has gone from 195,000 to 213,000 in Yuma County.
However, that number appears inaccurate to local leaders, because there was a proposed question that would have asked census takers if they are a U.S. citizen. That question ended up not making it into the survey. However, it may have made undocumented immigrants hesitant to respond.
District Four Representative Charlene Fernandez is one of the local leaders who believes there are people who were unaccounted for. The proposed question was something that she did not agree with.
"Fundamentally that’s wrong, because we don’t care, I mean the bottom line is we’re trying to count the number of people here in our country, not the number of people that are United States citizens," Fernandez said.
Census data shows that people who identify as Latino or Hispanic make up more than 64 percent of county residents. A number that could be higher with the addition of undocumented immigrants
In addition to some not filling out the census form, it was also held in the heart of the pandemic, which made it harder to do certain tasks that help verify numbers.
Yuma County Board Of Supervisors chairman Tony Reyes also believes this was one of the issues with the census.
"I think that has a lot more to do with circumstances surrounding the last year when the census was taking place, it was not a very good year to send people to double check numbers and to do those type of things," Reyes said.
