MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — As the City of Murfreesboro conducts a critical Special Census campaign, “Count Me In,” to verify and certify an accurate count of its population, residents should be “on the lookout” for response forms in their mail. Hard copies of the 2025 Special Census forms are also available at City Hall. ‘Count Me In’ and follow the progress online!
The City is mailing forms to all City households, requesting the address and the first and last names of everyone living at the residence. The Special Census mailers will be distributed to all households over the next several weeks. The census survey is also available in electronic form online at www.Murfreesborocensus.com. A special QR code provided below navigates directly to the website to be counted. Parents of children who attend Murfreesboro City Schools received a Special Census flyer with Q&A information through the district’s Peachjar portal.
A lucky winner won our first drawing for the $100 Amazon Gift Card for completing the online census form. Two more winners will be drawn during the “Count Me In” campaign. Winners may pick up the card from the information desk at City Hall, 111 W. Vine Street from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and must show ID to receive.
The City is conducting the Special Census to ensure an accurate count of its residents, certify the city’s growth in population, and secure its full allocation of State-shared revenue, based on population. The official certified population for the City is 152,769 based on the federal census in 2020. Based on 7,500 new residential permits and net migration, the true population has easily increased by 20,000 since the 2020 census. But that must be verified!
A verified increase in population will result in an increase in revenue that benefits our community to help fund Police, Schools, Fire, Parks, and Roads. Do your part and be counted in the ‘Count Me In’ campaign! Even Santa has a special message...
“We can’t stress enough the importance of completing the Special Census and the benefits to the community,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “The 2025 Special Census is easy, safe, and useful. The information shared remains confidential and the funding tied to our count is critical for providing the necessary level of services.”
Residents can participate in the Special Census by completing the online form available on the City’s secure website or by completing the form mailed to your home address. To watch a Special Census PSA Video featuring Mayor Shane McFarland, visit...
Residents will receive a census packet for entering the information electronically. A simple pre-paid postage card will also be included in the packet for residents that would rather mail the information form to the City of Murfreesboro. The only information needed is the address and first and last names of all people living in the household. Anyone who lives at the address or considers the address home should be counted. That includes children, infants, grandparents living there and college students away. Watch this CityTV PSA on “Who Can Be Counted...”
The first Special Census packets were mailed this week, Dec.9, 2024. Other mailings will follow and only go to those households that fail to respond. Residents should include any individuals away at college or deployed in the military as they are also counted. The Information collected is confidential and only for the purpose of the Special Census.
State-shared tax revenues for the City of Murfreesboro rely on this information. The state is currently sharing with the City approximately $175.00 per resident in State-shared revenues, which means an estimated $27 million annually for the City of Murfreesboro. This helps keep taxes low, provide essential services to citizens and increase the quality of life.
If each household averages 2.3 people, the City believes at least 20,000 new residents have been added since the 2020 federal census. At 170,000 people for 2025 Special Census, that translates to an additional $3.7 million in State-shared revenue per year.
Once the count is complete and audited, the City will submit its results to the State for adoption as the certified population during the 2025 budget process.
The City is mailing Special Census letters to special housing locations such as MTSU on-campus housing, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, homeless shelters, group homes, jail, and workhouse facilities. The Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department and others will also conduct a door-to-door campaign on unresponsive households beginning in 2025 to assist with the accurate count. Firefighters will conduct safety checks and offer to install free smoke detectors if the household doesn’t have working detectors. Most fire deaths occur in residential units with non-functioning smoke detectors.
The City will not sell or share your information, except for official purposes with the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee Knoxville where a database of business and population statistics is maintained for the state. For questions about the Murfreesboro Special Census, please email census@murfreesborotn.gov or call 615-893-5210.
