Tricia Woodward, a partnership specialist with the Dallas Regional Census Center, updated the Custer County Commissioners on the county’s self-response rate and the upcoming Census Faith-Based Weekend as well as providing promotional materials for the county.
“We are at the end of the roundup, and we had this delay, this COVID-19 (pandemic) which caused us to suspend the operation,” Woodward said.
Due to the pandemic, many of the 2020 Census activities were put off or delayed for the public’s health and safety. But citizens still received their Census material in the mail and had access to it online.
In-person operations, such as hanging Census materials on the doors or rural resident, are starting to begin again. Soon, Census workers will begin going door-to-door, in a safe manner, until October 31 to ensure as many residents as possible fill out the 2020 Census.
However, Woodward said the best information is gathered when citizens fill out the Census on their own. However, Custer County’s — and Oklahoma’s — selfresponse rates sit well below the national average.
As of June 22, Oklahoma has a self-response rate of 56.1 percent compared to the nationwide response rate of 61.6 percent. Custer County has a response rate of 51.4 percent, and the individual towns have a response rate of the following:
• Weatherford — 56.2 percent
• Clinton — 49.9 percent
• Arapaho — 47.8 percent
• Thomas — 45.3 percent
• Custer City — 39.7 percent
• Butler — 28.2 percent
Census results important because it determines how federal funding will be distributed to communities each year and it determines government representation.
“We realize not everyone is going to do it before we send the foot soldiers out about August 14,” Woodward said. “However, because Oklahoma opened up earlier, we may have people going out a little sooner.”
This weekend is the 2020 Census Faith Based Weekend. Churches and other faith communities can find a Faith Communities 2020 Census Action by going to 2020census.gov/en/partners. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Outreach Materials.” The guide will be available for download in English.
Before leaving, Woodward passed out Census promotional materials for the county’s use.
For more information about the 2020 Census and how to help, visit 2020census.gov.