CRANBERRY TWP — Geography is the main reason why the township will serve as a regional hub for operations and data collection for the 2020 United States Census.

However, the rapid growth in the area is an added benefit for the Census Bureau, which is seeking to hire 3,000 people in Butler County alone.

A delegation from the Philadelphia Regional Census Center was in the township this week to kick-start operations and meet with government officials about the upcoming campaign. According to Roxanne Wallace, assistant regional census manager, Cranberry Township is the headquarters for 45 counties in Pennsylvania as well as nine counties in Ohio. That includes Cuyahoga County and Cleveland, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the state.

Although Census Day is not until April 1, 2020, data collection will begin this summer.

“Our first operation actually starts in 2019, and that's what we're hiring for,” Wallace said.

This is an excerpt — learn more about what the job entails in Sunday's Butler Eagle or subscribe online.