By Sarah Richardson
As the deadline for the Census draws closer, West Virginia has launched into the second highest response rate in the nation with an 88.1% response rate. Idaho is currently leading the country with a 93.9% response rate.
“We also actually exceed the national response rate of 76.5%,” said Debra Sizemore, our local Partnership specialist.
The sudden jump in our response numbers can be attributed to Census workers beginning non-response follow-ups with households that had not yet responded. Census workers combine the self response rate, or SSR, with the non-response follow-up rate, or NRFU, to get the total response rate, or TRR, for the state.
West Virginia’s self response rate is 55.4% of all citizens who responded online, by phone, or by mailing back the paper form, and the non-response follow-up rate is 32.6%.
“Thanks to all your hard work and to the efforts of the Census workers doing non-response follow up with households who had not yet completed the census, our WV response rate has improved from the self-response rate of 55.4% to 88.1%,” said Sizemore.
“Population count affects everything including roads, bridges, infrastructure projects, schools, hospitals, federally-qualified health centers, disaster assistance, Headstart, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Section 8 housing, SNAP benefits, senior citizens programming, foster care funds, WIC, technology services, low-income energy assistance, and so much more.”
The deadline to respond to the Census is September 30, a month earlier than previously announced.
U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham said the moving of the deadline is to “accelerate the completion of data collection and apportionment counts by our statutory deadline of December 31, 2020, as required by law and directed by the Secretary of Commerce.”
Sizemore also noted the regional distribution of yard signs encouraging people to respond to the Census, which are “strategically placed” around the county. With only a handful of signs for each region, they will be placed in heavily traveled areas for the most results.
Sizemore emphasizes that responding to the Census is easy, safe, and important. You can respond by phone, online, or on the form. The questionnaire is short and has fewer than 10 questions and requires less than 10 minutes to complete. Answers are held confidential for 72 years and responses aren’t shared with anyone for any reason.
“This confidentiality extends to every person, group, and agency and includes DHHR, Section 8, Immigration & Customs, law enforcement, or anyone else,” she said. “The results of the 1950 census haven’t been released yet so when we say your information is confidential, it is.”
Visit www.census.gov or call 1-844-330-2020 to respond.