County trails state, national response rates for 2020 Census

About a third of White County respondents have completed the 2020 Census so far, lagging behind state and national self-response rates.

A response tracker at 2020census.gov showed the county’s rate at 33.5% as of Wednesday morning, April 15. That’s in comparison to 46% for all of Georgia and 48.6% nationwide.

Local and state officials have stressed the importance of having as complete of a count as possible of those living here. Census information on population growth or decline can shape how federal, state and local districts for elected officials are drawn. The figures also factor in how federal funding is divvied up, be it for government assistance programs or aid for infrastructure projects. White County had around an 84% response in the 2010 Census.

Multiple mailers have been sent out in recent weeks advising recipients on how to complete the Census online, by phone or by mail. For households that do not respond via one of these three methods by late May, Census takers will begin visiting to ensure those people are counted.

The U.S. Census Bureau says it is bound by law to protect answers and keep them confidential.

For more information, visit census.georgia.gov, 2020census.gov or search “Georgia Census 2020” on social media.