Jefferson County residents – 69.4 percent of you, at least – take a bow.
That’s how many have responded to the U.S. Census Bureau’s once-a-decade request to count the number of Americans.
According to the Census Bureau’s website, Jefferson County’s response rate (as of May 15) ranked 218th among the nation’s 3,215 counties.
Nationally, the average is 59.3 percent, and Missouri is at 59.7 percent.
Response percentages are based on preliminary Census work that was done in fall 2019.
The Census Bureau sent out postcards in early March to households around the country that included, for the first time, an internet address allowing the form to be filled out online.
Follow-up postcards were sent a few weeks afterward to those who had not already responded, and written questionnaires were sent out in April to those who did not choose to go online.
Marilyn Sanders, regional director of the Census Bureau’s Chicago office, said the agency doesn’t really analyze why people in some areas respond more than others.
“There’s a lot of reasons why that can occur,” she said. “In some areas that are more rural, many people don’t have street addresses but have post office boxes instead. We mailed out postcards only to street addresses. And, of course, there are people who don’t have internet service or poor internet service.”
The response rate includes those who responded online, who returned the paper survey or who completed their form by telephone. For information about all three methods, go to 2020census.gov. To participate by phone, call 1-844-330-2020.
Historically, Jefferson County has responded well to the census call. A decade ago, 73.2 percent of county residents responded by mail or telephone.
The online option, Sanders said, has been popular, as 57.9 percent of county residents have completed their forms that way.
“We are seeing more activity online than we originally expected,” Sanders said. “In light of what’s been going on with the pandemic, the online option has proved to be an opportunity for individuals to report with a feeling of safety. We want to make sure everyone’s counted.”
Arnold, Herculaneum
had best response
Even with Jefferson County’s high return rate, responses vary by area. Tiny village Parkdale set the pace at 79.7 percent, with Arnold (74.3 percent) and Herculaneum (74.0 percent) leading the larger municipalities. Eureka (73.4 percent), Byrnes Mill (71.2 percent) and Festus (70.1 percent) were all also above 70 percent.
“That’s good,” Arnold City Administrator Bryan Richison said. “I know we’ve certainly let our people know the importance of the Census. We’ve included information on our website, in our emailed newsletter and on our new message board outside of City Hall. We’ve tried to make people aware, because it’s important.”
Herculaneum City Administrator Jim Kasten said Mayor Bill Haggard has been out in front of his city’s efforts to turn out for the Census.
“Before all the COVID-19 stuff hit, Bill was talking with groups, telling them how and why they need to do this. We were also pretty active in 2010. We’ve also been trying to publicize our (participation) numbers, partly because we can educate the public every time, but also that might prompt more people to fill out their form. It’s really an important thing.”
The response rate of other cities: Crystal City (66.8 percent), Olympian Village (65.1), Pevely (62.6), Scotsdale (60.5), De Soto (59.9), Lake Tekikwitha (56.5) and Hillsboro (56.0).
Kimmswick had
county’s lowest rate
The only Jefferson County municipality below 56 percent as of May 15 was Kimmswick at 34.2 percent.
“I did not know that,” said Mayor Phil Stang. “I have no idea how to explain that, but I need to do something about that.”
Stang said he would write a note about the importance of participating in the Census and include it in his regular Letter from the Mayor newsletter that he places on a counter at the Kimmswick Post Office.
“We’ll also post it on our city website, but I’ve found that this may be the most effective way of getting the word out. Everybody in town goes to the post office every couple of days.
“In normal times, I’d be out walking around, talking with people, so I could tell them about the Census,” Stang said. “Over the last couple of months, I’ve been kind of a recluse. I guess I figured that it was an intuitive thing for people to complete their census form, but I’m seeing that it’s not necessarily intuitive for everybody.”
Still time to get your form in
Sanders said the Census typically hires people to go door-to-door to unresponsive households and would be doing so now, but because of the pandemic, that schedule has been pushed back.
“You now have through Oct. 31 to respond online or by phone or mail, which is considered self-response,” she said. “But we’re encouraging people to respond before August, which is when the current plan is to send people out and knock on doors.
Sanders said the Census Bureau plans to equip its workers with personal protective equipment before they hit the streets.
“We’ve been doing virtual training and retraining, teaching our census takers how to do their jobs safely and how to stay safe while working,” she said.
Sanders said more workers may be needed, as some people who were recruited late last year may be either unavailable or unwilling to go door-to-door.
“That’s happening in some pockets more than others,” she said.
For information on applying for Census jobs, go to 2020census.com.
She said stragglers who might be worried about security of their information should not be.
“By law, we can only release information in statistical form, which means that the specific information you provide will not be identifiable to you. If you’re worried about going online, we are working constantly to make sure we are not susceptible to cyber attacks,” she said.
“Our goal is to get as many people counted as we can,” she said. “We want everybody counted. Why is that important? Over the next 10 years, many decisions will be made based on these numbers. $675 billion is distributed annually based on these numbers. Decisions on where to put schools, where to open businesses, whether a hospital or a fire station is built – those will depend on part on the Census.”