Maryland Ranks 13th In The U.S. For Completion Of 2020 Census

CROFTON, MD — Currently, Maryland ranks 13th in the country for completion of the 2020 Census with a 66.7 percent self-response rate, which is above the national response rate of 62.8 percent. Maryland ranks fifth in the U.S. in internet responses. Carroll County leads the state with a self-response rate of 78.4 percent, ranking 25th in the U.S. out of more than 3,200 counties.

“Our administration is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that every single Marylander is counted this year,” said Gov. Larry Hogan. “Every single response directly impacts the services our communities receive—funding for schools, hospitals, roads, and other emergency and essential services all rely on our responses. I urge every single Maryland resident to fulfill their civic duty and help shape our future.”

Every Marylander uncounted represents more than $18,250 in unaccessed federal funding for programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), school construction, emergency preparedness and transportation projects. Census data also informs reapportionment and redistricting, and ensures that Maryland receives appropriate representation in Congress.

“While the Census is about $1.5 trillion dollars in federal spending, including $16 billion to Maryland, the Census is really about us as Marylanders,” said Maryland Planning Secretary Rob McCord. “The Census is about who we are as a state and how many people reside in each community. We count people, not just citizens, and this is our one chance for the next 10 years to paint an accurate portrait of Maryland and each of our communities.”

Planning created a Low Response Score and Hard to Count dashboard, which displays socioeconomic and demographic profiles of selected Census tracts that further allows staff to target strategies to improve the Census response rates. Planning also recently added a map of Food Distribution Centers and Census Tracts by Response Rate. This online mapping application displays Maryland food banks and distribution locations in relation to Census tracts, which staff can leverage to reach Marylanders at sites in low response areas.

Census takers will begin visiting homes that haven’t yet responded to the 2020 Census beginning in early August. All Census takers will wear masks, follow Maryland’s public health guidelines, including physical distancing, and wear an ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date.