Breaking It Down: 2020 U.S. Census


Breaking It Down: 2020 U.S. Census

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – “For the next 10 years, the data that we collect will inform so many decisions that are critical and provide resources to our community,” said Marilyn Sanders.

With less than a month until the 2020 U.S. Census deadline, the focus on making sure every American fills it out is more important than ever.

“It is your voice. Your voice that can help your community by making certain we get a complete and accurate count, and everyone has the opportunity to be counted now through September 30,” said Sanders.

Right now, Rockford sits at a self-response rate of just under 68 percent of households, which City Chief of Staff Wester Wuori says is trending slightly lower than the 2010 total of 69.6 percent.

“We are getting data on where in the community. So, we can look at census tracts and see that in this census tract, 80% of the households have already filled it out, but in this census tract, we’re only at about 55%. So, right now, we’re actually focusing more of our communications and outreach efforts in those harder to count census tracts,” said Wuori.

Approximately $675 billion is distributed annually based on the data collected, which Chicago Regional Director Marilyn Sanders says funds key programs in communities across the country.

“Census data is used to inform decisions on where there may need to be new libraries built, new senior facilities, where there may need to be more facilities and organizations that support that the communities in terms of education,” said Sanders.

The U.S. Constitution mandates a new population count every 10 years and that data is essential in determining reapportionment, which decides how many congressional seats a state will get and redistricting, which draws electoral boundaries based on that number.

“The estimates in our county are that each person we don’t count, we lose out on about $1535 per person per year in federal and related funding. When we count everybody, we have the resources to provide those programs,” said Wuori. “When we don’t count everybody, we still have to provide the programs, the services, the infrastructure; we just have less money with which to do it.”

“Be counted. You can inform future generations and what happens in terms of resources that are available through federal funding. The Census is important and it is now,” said Sanders.

“When you fill out the census, what you’re really saying is, ‘I count. I count in my community; I count in my city, in my state and in the country,’” said Wuori. “It doesn’t matter your race, your gender, your socioeconomic status your, your immigration status, you are a member of this community and you count.”

Currently, Sanders says the national household response is at 64.9 percent.

For more information and if you still need to fill yours out, head to the U.S. Census Bureau website or call (844) 330-2020. For assistance in Spanish, call (844) 468-2020.

Copyright 2020 WIFR. All rights reserved.


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