The census takes place every decade in the U.S. Its goal is to get an accurate count of the population as well as information about where each person lives.

This count helps determine how much federal funding states, cities, counties and other entities will receive.

As the ninth most populous county in the nation, Dallas County is at risk of having thousands of families undercounted, according a recent press release. Even a 1% undercount in Dallas County could result in a loss of more than $40 million a year in federal funding.

The city of Richardson is also doing its part to rally local participation in the census. The Complete Count Committee—which is tasked with developing an awareness campaign—met for the first time in May.

The census also determines the reapportionment of the U.S. House of Representatives. The 435 seats are divided among the 50 states based on the population counts from the census.