​Wake County Makes Final Push For 2020 Census

Press release from the Wake County Government:

by Stephen R. Walston on 9/16/2020 10:19 AM
Category: WakeGOV Home Page

With two weeks left before 2020 Census enumeration ends,
Wake County leaders are urging anyone who hasn’t responded to do so soon.

“A brief moment of your time will pay big dividends for the
next 10 years for all of us here in Wake County,” said Board of Commissioners
Vice Chair Vickie Adamson. “Currently, 71.8% of Wake County households have
responded to the census. That’s great, but we need that number to be higher to
make sure we don’t miss out on federal and state resources—and we still have
time to make that happen.”

Importance of the CensusThe 2020 Census will determine how $675 billion in federal
funding is distributed. Each person in North Carolina not counted equals a loss
of between $1,500 and $2,500 per year in federal and state funding. Over the
next decade, that equates to a loss of $15,000 to $25,000 per person.

The Census also determines how we’re represented in
Congress. And this year, North Carolina is projected to gain an additional seat
in the House of Representatives – if we get a complete count.

Impact of COVID-19Like everything this year, the 2020 Census was impacted by
COVID-19.

In-person outreach efforts had to be canceled, which meant
losing opportunities to connect with people one-on-one. Because of safety
concerns, census takers were delayed in getting out in the field.

These effects have made it harder to get an accurate count. But
at the same time, COVID-19 also drove home the importance of a getting a
complete count. The millions of dollars of federal CARES Act funding allocated
in Wake County were based on 2010 census counts. These funds went toward
testing and tracing; PPE, food and Chromebook distribution; housing assistance;
transit operations; and utility assistance payments.

How to RespondResponding to the
2020 Census is quick and easy. You can respond online, by
phone at 844-330-2020 or by mail. Full details are available at 2020census.gov and wakegov.com/census.

This press release was produced by the Wake County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.