Washington State Among Highest In Census Response

WASHINGTON — Residents of Washington state have been doing an outstanding job responding to the 2020 census.

Census takers say statewide, 66.1 percent of Washington homes have already responded to the census, making Washington the sixth best responding state in the United States and the best in the west coast. Nationwide about 60.8 percent of people responded to the 2020 census.

King County results

King County in particular is being recognized for its exceptional response: 70.4 percent of homes across the county filled out their census ballots, a higher percentage than did the 2010 census.

Here's a look at some of King County's major cities and their census response rates:

• Seattle: 70.4 percent
• Bellevue: 69.9 percent
• Renton: 68.8 percent
• Kent: 66.2 percent
• Burien: 67 percent
• Woodinville: 73.2 percent
• Issaquah: 74.4 percent
• Redmond: 67.6 percent
• Kirkland: 72.9 percent

Census results are divided into tracts of land, with some cities occupying multiple tracts. The best-responding tract in King County was tract 322.13, a 1.71 square mile area in Sammamish between Beaver lake and Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park, where 86.3 percent of residents responded to the 2020 census.

Meanwhile, Seattle had the second-best response rate out of the United States 50 largest cities and municipalities, only beat out by Louisville, Kentucky.

Census in Pierce County

Though not as high as King County, Pierce County's census results have also been above the state and national average. So far, the census says Pierce has a 66.3 percent response rate. That makes it the 10th highest responding county in Washington, and is just a little below Pierce County's final 2010 response rate of 66.7 percent.

Here's are just some of Pierce County's major cities and their census response rates:

• Tacoma: 67.3 percent
• Auburn: 66.3 percent
• Puyallup: 69.7 percent
• Lakewood: 61.6 percent

In Pierce County, the best-responding tract is tract 605, a residential zone in Tacoma between Ruston Way and the University of Puget Sound, where 82.5 percent of residents have filled out their census.

Why the census matters

Census officials say these response rates are important, because they determine how each area is represented and help communities get the federal funding they need.

“Your response matters and will help your community get the accurate count it needs to secure federal funding for critical public services and political representation,” said Julie Lam, regional director of the U.S. Census Bureau.

The census is taken once every decade as a way to determine how much representation each area deserves in the federal government. They also affect federal funding: the census results can determine how much money will go to Washington's health clinics, schools, disaster recovery programs and more.

The census is urging anyone who hasn't yet taken the census still do so. Residents can respond to the census online at 2020census.gov. They can also respond through mail by printing and sending this paper questionnaire.