LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the US Census’ data collection efforts to be underway for another three months, officials are continuing to encourage community members in Lake County and those across the state and nation to participate as census takers prepare to follow up with households that haven’t yet responded.
Conducted every 10 years, the US Census will help to determine how many seats a state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and how legislative districts are drawn.
It also plays a critical role in the allocation of federal funding to states and local communities.
The population count it provides every decade informs how funds for housing, transportation, health care, education and emergency response are dispersed, officials said.
An estimated $675 billion in federal funds annually, and trillions of dollars over the next decade, will be distributed based on the Census, the bureau reported.
Due to COVID-19, the deadline for responses to be submitted has extended to Oct. 31.
In Lake County, the latest Census Bureau data shows the county remains well below the state and national average for its response rate.
Lake’s overall response rate is 44.9 percent compared to the state rate of 64 percent and the national rate of 62.8 percent.
Lake County’s final overall response rate in 2010 was 42.6 percent.
For Internet-only responses, Lake’s 2020 rate is even lower, at 27.9 percent, compared to California’s 53.4 percent Internet rate and the national self-response rate on the Internet of 50.1 percent.
Within the county, the city of Clearlake’s response rate is 38 percent and Lakeport’s is 64.1 percent.
Lake’s overall 44.9 percent rate ranks it among the counties in California with the lowest response. Only Sierra (38.9%), Plumas (36.1%), Trinity (27.4%), Alpine (24.5%) and Mono (19.9%) are lower.
The state’s top five counties for response are San Mateo, 73.9 percent; Contra Costa, 72.2 percent; Santa Clara, 72.1 percent; Marin and Ventura, 71.7 percent.
The Census Bureau said 92.8 million households have so far completed the Census. Of those, 9.7 million are in California.
California’s final 2010 response rate was 68.2 percent.
The top 10 states for response rate so far are Minnesota, 72.1 percent; Wisconsin, 69.4 percent; Nebraska, 68.8 percent; Michigan, 68.7 percent; Iowa, 68.7 percent; Washington, 68.1 percent; Virginia and Illinois, tied at 67.5 percent; Utah and Ohio, tied at 67.1 percent.
On Thursday, the US Census Bureau said the majority of its offices across the country will begin follow-up work on Aug. 11 with households that so far haven’t responded.
Households can still respond now by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire they received, by responding online at www.2020census.gov or by phone at 844-330-2020.
The bureau said households can also respond online or by phone in one of 13 languages and find assistance in many more. Those that respond will not need to be visited to obtain their census response.
The Census Bureau said its window for field data collection and self-response, which ends Oct. 31, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to the president by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than July 31, 2021.
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Lake County Census response well below state average; Census Bureau to begin followup efforts nationwide
- Elizabeth Larson
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