Only 34% of Fannin County households have responded to the 2020 Census, and the U.S. Census Bureau is still urging residents to respond by mail, phone or online.
According to Maria Mangum, Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, the national self response rate is 59.6% and the state’s response rate is currently listed at 55.7%.
Members of the county’s Complete County Committee believe a portion of Fannin’s non-response percentage belongs to second home owners who do not reside in the county full time. Those who receive a census questionnaire, and do not live at that home full time, can alert the bureau by reporting zero residents on the questionnaire.
The bureau is in the process of restarting some of their operations and have made adjustments amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the original self-response phase schedule was set to end July 31, however it has now been extended to October 31.
“As part of our Update Leave Enumeration Operation, the U.S. Census Enumerators will be dropping off 2020 Census Questionnaires in close to 2,500 housing units throughout Fannin County within the next few weeks,” Mangum said.
Nonresponse followup, where census takers will interview households who have not responded, will begin August 11 and continue through October 31.
The bureau is still looking for workers in Fannin County. Those interested can apply at https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html.