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Colorado outpaces national self-response rate for 2020 Census

To date, 65.2% of Colorado households have responded to the 2020 Census.
Longmont Leader Staff
Census 2020 11192019
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NEWS RELEASE

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

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To date, 65.2% of Colorado households have responded to the 2020 Census. The national self-response rate is 61.9%. 

It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail — all without having to meet a census taker. Responding now minimizes the need for census takers to visit homes to collect responses in person.

Colorado counties with the highest self-response rates 

  1. Douglas County, 76.8%

  2. Jefferson County, 76%

  3. Broomfield County, 72.7%

  4. Boulder County, 72.6%

  5. Arapahoe County, 70.9%

  6. Elbert County, 70.5%

  7. El Paso County, 69.3%

  8. Mesa County 69.3%

  9. Larimer County, 66.5%

  10. Adams County, 66.3%

2020 Census Timeline

In mid-March, most households received an invitation in the mail to respond to the 2020 Census, followed by multiple reminders and a paper questionnaire. 

In May, in coordination with federal, state and local health officials, the Census Bureau began a phased restart of some 2020 Census field operations in select geographic areas. As part of this phased restart, the Census Bureau resumed dropping off 2020 Census invitation packets at front doors in areas where the majority of households do not receive mail at their home. About 5% of households are counted during this operation, known as Update Leave, where census workers confirm or update a household’s physical location address and then leave a census questionnaire packet.

The Census Bureau plans to send an additional reminder postcard to households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. The postcard is scheduled to arrive in late July, a few weeks before census takers are set to begin visiting most households that have not responded. 

In August, Census takers are scheduled to visit households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. The health and safety of Census Bureau staff and the public is of the utmost importance. Census takers are required to receive social distance training and personal protective equipment. 

P.O. boxes

The Census Bureau does not mail census invitations to P.O. boxes because each census response must be associated with the physical location where people live, not where they receive mail. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed delivery of census invitation packets to some communities, but census takers have dropped off the majority of packets. When responding, these households are also encouraged to use the Census ID provided in the packet - or their street - NOT their P.O. box number. 

Why the 2020 Census is Important

  • The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. 

  • The 2020 Census counts everyone who lives in the United States as of 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.

  • Census statistics inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local and federal lawmakers annually for the next 10 years.

About the 2020 Census

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