Finney County: Half the population is “hard to count”

Following a Tuesday story I wrote about the special challenges facing the U.S. Census Bureau in Finney County (and all across the southwest Kansas and the High Plains for that matter!), I was contacted by researchers at the CUNY Mapping Service at the Center for Urban Research about an interactive map they’ve put out that pinpoints areas across America where communities are considered “difficult to enumerate.”

You can zoom in near Garden City on the map and see that in Finney, Seward and Ford counties almost half the population is considered “hard to count,” based on demographic and housing characteristics that create challenges to achieving an accurate count, Steven Romalewski, director of the CUNY mapping service, told me.

If you decide to check it out, there is a list of FAQ here to help you navigate the site. The map is prety cool, outlining statistics such as educational and poverty levels by county that make communities especially hard to reach — do check it out!

A majority of the crowd tries to stay in the shade of an awning outside El Remido Market as Ritmo Latino entertains them with music during a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Brad Nading/Telegram

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