Tracking Census Results
Georgia is lagging behind the national average in 2020 Census responses. There are two websites that offer the ability to track census results. The Response Rate Website has mapping features that can be scaled down to view census tract, county, city or congressional district information and includes 2010 county and city response rates. The Rankings Website provides census response ranking information on a state and national level for counties and cities. This site shows the self-response rate as well as the total response (enumerated) rate. The Census Bureau also provides a map that can track Nonresponse Followup in your area.
Census Bureau Starts Phone and Email Campaign in August for Low Response Areas
Starting in late August, the Census Bureau is going to be calling households in low responsive areas as well as sending emails to people in areas with response rates less than 50%. Also, some people who have already responded are going to be called and emailed as well if they live in these areas.
Phone Data: Using information provided to the Census Bureau and third-party purchased data, the Census Bureau has a strong contact list for both landlines and cellphones assigned to houses on the Census Bureau’s address list.
Emails Data: Emails will go to all households that the Census Bureau has contact information for in census block groups with a response rate lower than 50%. This will include households who may have already responded. In total, the Census Bureau expects to email more than 20 million households in these low-responding areas. The email messages will come from 2020census@subscriptions.census.gov and will give recipients the option to opt out of receiving future messages. The Census Bureau is using email addresses that households have provided in response to another Census Bureau program, or received from states (such as from their WIC, SNAP or TANF programs) or from a commercial list.
2020 Census Mobile Questionnaire Assistance is Available for your County
The Mobile Questionaire Assistance (MQA) program is part of the Census Bureau’s final push to encourage people in low responding areas to take the census. Locations for MQAs include grocery stores and markets, food banks, laundromats, restaurants and grab-and-go eateries, unemployment offices, back to school drives, places of worship, and libraries.
The local census response representatives will help people complete the census on a 2020 Census tablet or on their own device, while practicing state and local social distancing protocols. All census workers have been trained in social distancing protocols and issued personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks to be worn during MQA support.
If people need help responding in a language other than English, Census Bureau staff can provide phone numbers or assistance responding online in 12 other languages. Staff will also have guides available in 59 languages that walk people through how to respond to the English questionnaire.
All staff will carry an ID badge with their name, photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark seal, and an expiration date. They will have an official Census Bureau-issued bag and tablet. MQA locations will have banners bearing the 2020 Census logo.
In the interest of public health concerns because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Census Bureau staff will decide on a weekly basis whether MQA activities will take place in a low-response area in coordination with local partners. A list of planned events for August and September can be found here.
More information about the MQA can be found here. If your county is not listed and you would like to have an event, please contact your local Census Bureau Partnership Specialist or contact Janet Lee at Janet.Lee@2020census.gov.
Operational Changes from the Census Bureau
The Census Bureau announced on September 28 that the collection deadline for the 2020 Census has changed from September 30 to October 31. The revised schedule can be found here.
Door-to-Door Census Campaign Begins August 11
Census Bureau employee (enumerators) will be going door-to-door to all non-responsive addresses on August 11. The census may be submitted through October 31 by responding directly to the enumerators, online, by phone, or by mail.
Census Email Campaign: The Census Bureau began an email campaign at the end of July that will run through September to encourage participation in low response areas to take the census. Emails will be sent from 2020census@subscriptions.census.gov and will give recipients the option to opt out of future messages. The Census Bureau is also considering sending text messages to areas that have low response. More information is provided here.
2020 Census
Since 1790, the U.S. Census Bureau has conducted a national census every ten years. The purpose of the census is to establish an accurate count of the nation’s population. States and local governments are currently in the process of preparing for the upcoming 2020 Census, which will begin on April 1, 2020. To ensure that counties are well informed and taking all the necessary steps, ACCG created this resource center.
The Role of Counties in the Census
Ensuring that each county has an accurate census count is very important. The George Washington Institute of Public Policy reported that Georgia received almost $24 billion ($2300 per person per year ) in federal funding from the 55 largest federal programs based on 2010 census data.. Failure to count just 10 households containing 2.5 people in your county could result in the loss of $575,000 over the 10-year census period. In addition to federal funding, census data is used for local planning purposes, LOST renegotiations, service delivery, redistricting, state and federal grant eligibility, tier designation, economic development, business expansion and location, and insurance premium tax distributions.
Failing to properly prepare for and promote the census in your county can lead to an undercount which will impact your county for a 10-year period following the census. Hear directly from county manager, Merv Waldrov, and county administrator, Bob Sprinkel, on the importance and impact of census data on county government.
Local Complete Count Committees
The State Complete Count Committee was created in 2018 to provide educational and marketing tools and coordinate statewide census efforts for local communities to use in promoting the 2020 Census. Local Complete Count Committees (LCCCs) are the grassroots committees that work directly with their communities to spread awareness and should formed at the county level. LCCCs are established to educate and inform the public about the importance of participating in the 2020 Census and how census data impacts their community. These committees should be made up of a wide variety of stakeholders including county and municipal leaders, local schools and colleges, regional commissions, extension services, media, faith based organizations, community organizations, ethnic/cultural organizations, employers, or any other groups in your county that can help maximize participation. Creating a LCCC in your county will strengthen the planning and execution of outreach efforts, especially in hard to count areas. There are numerous toolkits available to help LCCCs plan and market their outreach strategies.
SCCC Toolkit for Local Complete Count Committees
US Census 2020 Census Toolkit for State and Local Officials
State CCC Social Media Toolkit
Media and Marketing Resources
The SCCC and the US Census Bureau have created dozens of downloadable fact sheets, posters, videos, merchandise, and other materials that can be used to promote the 2020 Census. The SCCC has even created posters that can be customized with photos of local community leaders and issues that reflect the needs of your community. Additionally, Voices for Georgia’s Children and Georgia Family Connection have partnered to create a website with resources that include videos, fact sheets, and printed material that provide specific Georgia based information on the census impact to children, education, and healthcare. Further, the Valdosta State University Center for South Georgia Regional Impact has free Census posters and table tents available for their 41 county service area.
SCCC TV, Video, and Radio Spots
Center for South Georgia Regional Impact Resources
US Census Taglines and Logos in Different Languages
US Census Promotional Materials and Guidelines
State CCC Social Media Toolkit
ACCG-GMA 2020 Census Workshops and Webinar Materials
ACCG and GMA held a series of census workshops in the spring of 2019 on creating local complete count committees. ACCG and GMA also hosted a webinar on January 9, 2020 on LCCC timelines, strategies, and available marketing materials. Workshop materials by location as well as the webinar video and PowerPoint are provided below.
Macon-Bibb County (Video Link #1; Video Link #2)
ACCG-GMA Census Newsletter
ACCG and GMA have partnered to produce a monthly census newsletter which contains information on census outreach, guidelines, schedule modifications, and best practices.
August 2020 (additional newsletter)
Georgia and County Census Facts
Facts sheets, infographics, statistics, articles, and maps have been created from a variety of sources that show Georgia based county and state level information on the census.
County Population Gains and Losses
County 2010 Census Response Rates and Internet Access Statistics
County Level Census Data
GWU Counting for Dollars Georgia
Everyone Counts: How to Maximize the 2020 Census Count for Your County
Working with Hard-to-Count Communities
Why the 2020 Census is Important to Your County
Is Your County Prepared for the 2020 Census?
Brief #7: Comprehensive Accounting of Census-Guided Federal Spending (FY2017)
Hard-to-Count Areas
After each census, the U. S. Census Bureau reviews response rates. Areas that have low response rates are considered to be hard-to-count. Reasons for low response rates may be language barriers, low trust in government, or poor communications with citizens in certain groups or communities. There are several resources that will help your county to identify previous areas that were previously noted as hard-to-count.
Georgia Hard to Count Maps
Using Census tools, DCA and OPB created maps that show the hard-to-count areas in Georgia by each DCA District, Congressional District, and county.
Resource: DCA Maps; Congressional Maps; County Maps
CUNY Mapping Service
The City University of New York (CUNY) Mapping Service at the Center for Urban Research has developed a map of hard-to-count (HTC) communities to highlight areas of the country whose populations had low mail return rates for the 2010 Census. The map provides information to help stakeholders ensure these hard-to-count areas and populations are fully counted.
Resource: https://www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us/
The Response Outreach Area Mapper
The Response Outreach Area Mapper (ROAM) is designed to show characteristics of hard-to-count areas. This map shows the Low Response Score (LRS) for an area. The higher the number, the more difficult the area may be to survey. If the LRS is low, the area has a high probability of returning their census form immediately.
Census Engagement Navigator
The Census Engagement Navigator was specifically created to prepare for the 2020 census. It allows users to understand what areas of the country had high or low return rates in the 2010 Census, and the current demographic makeup of these neighborhoods.
Resource: https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/engagement.html
2010 Response Rates
Response Rates from the 2010 Census are available and can be broken down by state, county, city, and more. It also compares the participation rate from 2000 to 2010.
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