FGGAM MEDIA CENTER JUST RECEIVED THIS NEWS RELEASE:
New Mexico Lags National Response Rate
Nearly 90% of U.S. Households Respond to the 2020 Census
WHAT: The 2020 Census has faced numerous challenges during this decade’s constitutionally-mandated count. Despite these challenges, the U.S. Census Bureau has counted nearly 82.8% of New Mexico’s households and 89.4% nationwide. As of September 10, the Census Bureau estimates it will need to visit 56 million addresses nationwide to achieve an accurate and complete count.
The self-response rates in your area, as of September 10:
- Albuquerque has a current self-response rate of 70.3%.
- Santa Fe has a current self-response rate of 65%.
To see total response rates state by state, please visit: https://2020census.gov/content/dam/2020census/news/daily-nrfu-rates/nrfu-rates-report-09-10.pdf. To see self-response rates (online, by phone, and by mail, please visit: https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html
The Census Bureau is going to great lengths to count everyone, including:
- Visiting a home up to six times to obtain a response.
- Calling households to count households in addition to in-person visits.
- Increasing work hours and offering competitive pay. Census Field Supervisors who exceed 32 hours or more per week will earn a $750 award.
- Stationing Mobile Questionnaire Assistance (MQA) representatives in open, public places in the lowest-responding areas of the nation to help people complete the census on their mobile device.
Before entering the field, census takers complete training on social distancing and safety protocols. They will follow public health guidelines and are required to wear a face mask when conducting home visits. They can be easily identified by a valid government ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date on the badge. The Census Bureau continues to encourage people to respond to the 2020 Census on their own to avoid a visit from a census taker.
More than $675 billion in federal funds will be allocated to communities across the country every year for the next decade. Communities that are undercounted risk missing out on support for an array of critical programs and services, including housing, transportation, health care, education, and emergency response.
Other COVID-19 related operational changes include more paper questionnaires mailed out and emails to low-responding areas. You can respond to the 2020 Census online, over the phone, or by mail. For more information, please visit 2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020.
