REGIONAL- The U.S. Census Bureau will begin following up in August with households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. Based on the current response rate of 62.3 percent, the Census Bureau estimates it will need to visit approximately 56 million addresses to collect responses in person. So far, households have had the opportunity to respond by mail or online. Most census offices across the country will begin follow-up work on Aug. 11 and will conclude work no later than Oct. 31.
The state of Minnesota currently has the highest response rate in the nation at 71.8 percent. Some of the cities and townships in our area have rates nearing that percentage, with Cook at 63.4percent, Ely at 64.2 percent, Embarrass at 68.8 percent, and Angora at 59.8 percent. But the response rate in most of the cities and townships in our area has been significantly lower. Tower has only 41.8 percent responding so far, Breitung Township (Soudan) is lower at 26.5 percent, and Greenwood Township trails at 20.9 percent. Orr has 48.5 percent, Winton 40.8 percent, and Morse Township is 35.9 percent.
In many areas, the majority of respondents have answered their census questionnaire online, with over three-quarters of the respondents in Ely and Tower answering online.
Households can still complete and mail back the paper questionnaire they received, respond online at 2020census.gov, or call 844-330-2020. Households can also respond online or by phone in one of 13 languages and find assistance in many more. Those who respond will not need to be visited by a census worker.
What to expect with a census visit
Census takers will follow local public health guidelines when they visit. If masks are required in the area, census takers will wear them. Census takers must complete a virtual COVID-19 training on social distancing protocols and other health and safety guidance before beginning their work in neighborhoods.
Census takers are hired from local communities. If no one is home when the census taker visits, the census taker will leave a notice of their visit with information about how to respond online, by phone or by mail. People are encouraged to cooperate with census takers and ensure that everyone who was living in their household as of April 1, 2020, is counted.
The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every ten years. The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone living in the United States on April 1, 2020, (Census Day). Census statistics are used to determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and informs how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local, and federal lawmakers annually for the next 10 years.