Did you know that 32 North Carolina counties have yet to meet the 50 percent response rate benchmark for the 2020 U.S. Census, and most of those are in western and northeastern regions of the state?
Even with those sobering statistics, there remains a glimmer of hope: There is still time to get your responses in.
That message is not lost on Roanoke Electric Co-op, which is strongly encouraging its member-owners to participate in the survey. The data collected can be used to provide a much-needed financial boost to the economically distressed counties the co-op serves.
“It’s imperative our member-owners respond to the census, because it will determine government funding levels for housing, education and our broadband initiative,” said co-op President and CEO Curtis Wynn.
What is the current response rate among counties in the co-op’s service territory? Recent reporting provided by Carolina Demography, which tracks the states census data, offers the following insights:
Gates County
- 8% of households in Gates County have self-responded, above the state response rate of 58.1%. The county is currently ranked 32 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
Bertie County
- 5% of households in Bertie County have self-responded, below the state response rate of 58.1%. The county is currently ranked 71 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
Halifax County
- 9% of households in Halifax County have self-responded, below the state response rate of 58.1%. The county is currently ranked 63 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
Hertford County
- 49.5% of households in Hertford County have self-responded, below the state response rate of 58.1%. The county is currently ranked 71 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
Perquimans County
- 5% of households in Perquimans County have self-responded to the 2020 Census, below the state response rate of 58.1%. The county is currently ranked 44 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
Chowan County
- 6% of households in Chowan County have self-responded to the 2020 Census, above the state response rate of 58.1%. The county is currently ranked 33 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
Northampton County
- 7% of households in Northampton County have self-responded to the 2020 Census, below the state response rate of 58.1%. The county is currently ranked 89 out of 100 counties in North Carolina.
Responses to the census can be submitted online, by phone or email. To respond online, you can submit your response at https://2020census.gov/. If you don’t have access to a computer, you can also respond by phone at 1-844-330-2020 (English) or 1-844-468-2020 (Spanish). You can also mail in your response.