Enumerators with the 2020 United States Census began surveying door-to-door Saturday, August 8.
They will continue to do so as they travel to residences that have not yet responded to the census online, by phone or by mail.
Each enumerator will carry an official census bag, will have an official census enumerator ID badge and will have an electronic device.
As of July 28, only 36.4% of households in Fannin County have responded to the 2020 Census.
“We are low,” Fannin County Development Authority Director Christie Gribble said. “That means we could be losing money, as a community, coming from the federal government. So, just to compare, Gilmer County’s response rate is 44.3% and Union County’s is 51.8%. One of the factors that could be impacting us is that we do have a lot of second homes, and if someone’s living in Atlanta, they’ve probably filled out their census for Atlanta. Second homeowners can fill out their census for Fannin County, unfortunately they are asked to fill in zero people living in their home in Fannin County, because its not their primary residence.”
Results of this year’s census, an enumeration mandated to take place every ten years by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, will help determine how $675 billion in federal funding are distributed to communities every year for the next ten years. It will also help determine the reapportion of the United States House of Representatives, redistricting and more.
“Over the next decade, lawmakers, business owners, and many others will use 2020 Census data to make critical decisions,” bureau officials said. “The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children. The results will also inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.”
Fannin County non-profits and social service organizations, such as Fannin County Family Connection, also frequently use census data to help secure funds.