The number of Graham County residents who mailed in their U.S. Census Bureau questionnaires in 2010 rose 40 percent over the 2000 rate, but even that number left the county’s response rate near the bottom of North Carolina’s 100 counties.
Census response rates tend to be lower in rural areas, but these are the very communities that benefit most from accurate census results. The 2020 census will determine how $675 billion in federal and state funds will be spent. The census also determines the number of seats each state holds in the House of Representatives, as well as the boundaries of congressional and state legislative districts.
In 2016, $16,018,764 in federal funds were distributed to Graham County based on census results. As the N.C. Counts Coalition said, “Census data brings tax dollars back to your community.” This money takes the form of CHIP, Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, Head Start, foster care, school lunches, and highway grants, among other projects.
Rather than looking at the census as a governmental intrusion into citizens’ privacy, the Census Bureau encourages us to see responding to the census as a way of saying, “I count.”
The Constitution mandates that the federal government count every person in the country once every ten years, with the first census taking place in 1790. The process has always been a struggle, especially in areas with far-flung populations. The response rate for mailed questionnaires was 80 percent in 1970, but has trended downward over the last few decades, perhaps as trust in government has eroded.
However, for the first time ever, the census will accept responses both online and over the phone in 2020. This advance in technology should boost the response rate, perhaps exceeding the goal of a five percent rise every decade. The response rate rose for every county in North Carolina between 2000 and 2010, so our state is already headed in the right direction.
Although some citizens may see the census as an invasion of privacy, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, “Federal law protects your census questions. By law, we cannot share your information with immigration enforcement agencies, law enforcement agencies, or allow it to be used to determine your eligibility for government benefits.” In fact, all census staff must take an oath to this effect.
One particular concern over the 2020 centers on the possibility of a citizenship question. After a long political debate that culminated in a Supreme Court ruling, the 2020 census will not include a citizenship question. The paper questionnaires are already being printed without a citizenship question included.
The census will mail those paper questionnaires in mid-March of 2020, with follow-ups in April in May for those who fail to respond. The census will deliver results to the President by Dec. 31, 2020.
Those interested in working for the census may apply online at 2020census.gov/jobs. Census workers earn $13.50/hr, 58 cents per mile and enjoy flexible schedules.
For more information about the U.S. Census, visit census.gov.