Small Towns Shoot For 50,000 in This Year's Census

"When it comes to the Census, 50,000 appears to be a magic number. That's the number of residents that many restaurant chains and other businesses look for when deciding where to locate. It's also the population level that makes it easier for a community to qualify for federal funding to support infrastructure projects like streets, water systems and parks."

As a result of the 2000 Census, Salina's population fell just shy of the 50,000 mark. Officials there are confident they can stretch over the line this time, but need the residents to fill out their Census forms. To make sure the town is counted accurately, officials have launched a huge citywide volunteer effort to spread the word about the Census and its importance to local funding.