Melrose Officials Urge Residents To Complete Local Census

MELROSE, MA — The city of Melrose this week urged residents to complete their 2023 local census forms, which are expected to hit mailboxes in the coming days if they haven't already arrived.

The city had mailed out the census as of Monday. Once the census arrives by mail, residents can fill their form out and return it in person or by mail to the City Clerk’s office on the first floor of City Hall at 562 Main Street.

“The importance of completing your local census cannot be stressed enough as it has more of an impact on personal and local matters than is often realized,” officials said in a statement on Monday.

The local census goes out to residents annually. Census completion, officials noted this week, impacts topics ranging from individual voter registration status to federal funding allocated to Melrose.

Failure to complete the census could, among other things, lead to an inactive designation on a resident’s voter registration, which could cause delays for a voter when they next head to the polls.

Local census data, in turn factors into population counts and demographic breakdowns that city officials submit in certain funding documents and grant applications.

“Inaccurate population counts could result in inadequate funding which in turn impacts things like your local schools, roads, and other public work projects,” officials said.

Melrose’s census announcement on Monday pointed to other uses of local census data, including population trends and growth projections used by the local business community.

Beyond funding concerns, officials said census-backed demographic data helps shape the local government’s understanding of its population.

“This can impact the way the community of Melrose is served and help provide information on how your government and other agencies can adjust their policies, practices, and procedures to better suit the needs of the people in their community,” officials said.

See Melrose’s full census message here.