Floyd County census response below 50 percent
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
Census begins door-to-door visits
By Jackie Zimmerman/Managing Editor—
Floyd County’s response of 43.6 percent to the 2020 census falls below the state and the U.S. response rate, according to data provided by the Texas Demographic Center.
Across the state, 57.8 percent of residents have responded, and 62.8 percent have responded across the country, according to the center. Also, the response is a 15.3 percent drop compared to the county’s 58.8 percent response to the 2010 census.
Lila Valencia, senior demographer for the Texas Demographic Center, said one of the contributing factors may be the late delivery of the invitation packets out of the Lubbock census office.
“Those households that don’t receive typical mail service, home delivery began receiving packets May 25,” Valencia said.
“That was two months after other areas received their packets.”
In the counties with less than 50 percent response, the Census Bureau will begin its non-response follow-up with door-to-door visits Aug. 11.
“Census officials will be going door to door asking the census questions,” Valencia said, adding enumerators will be making the visits from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“We understand people are preoccupied. With the state of economy, health concerns and other issues. This is the easiest census ever complete. It is just 10 questions. Your response before Aug. 11 is the only thing keep the census from knocking on your door.”
Residents in these counties also should receive an email from the census bureau requesting response. The email will come from [email protected]
There are multiple ways for residents to respond, Valencia said, including filling out the packet they received on their doorstep and sending it back; going online to My2020census.gov and filling out the questions; or calling the Census Bureau, which offers in English at 844-330-3030 or in Spanish at 844-468-2020. Or, wait for a census enumerator to come to your home.
The census data is used by the federal government to determine the amount of funds it provides states for important programs, she said.
“The census data brings billions of dollars to the state that are associated with programs that touch peoples’ lives every day, including Medicaid, Medicare, WIC, children’s health programs, highways and highway planning, emergency response, parks, economic development programs, housing programs and a whole host of other federally funded programs,” she said.
Floyd County Judge Marty Lucke said the census determines the amount of funds available for schools, cities and counties.
“It also is used to determine the number of senate and house representatives for the federal and state level,” Lucke said.
“It is used to determine voting precincts and senate and house districts.
“Standing up and being counted helps you, your community, your county and your state.”
