When it comes to Sunflower County’s self-response rate with the 2020 Census, it’s about middle of the pack compared to other counties.
According to Marilyn Stephens, an assistant regional census manager for the 2020 Census for the Atlanta Region, Sunflower County so far has a volunteer response rate of 53%.
Is that good or bad?
It’s normal for the county, which had a rate of just over 54% during the last census, Stephens said, but it currently lags the national response rate of 60.6% and the state overall rate of 55.8%. “The state has really been doing exceptionally well,” Stephens said.
The census, which is required every 10 years, comes with many funding implications for counties like this one, which rely heavily on federal funding for numerous sectors including education and healthcare.
“This is far too important to let it slip through the cracks,” Stephens said. “It takes 10 minutes for 10 years of essential services, and I think it’s well worth it.”
Diving deeper into the numbers, Stephens said the rural parts of Sunflower County are the most problematic when it comes to self-response.
Moorhead, for instance, has a response rate of 30.7%, and the town of Sunflower is at 47.1%.
Indianola, on the other hand, has a response rate of 64.9%.
Census information can be filled out by mail, and citizens can use the internet to complete the questionnaire.
While internet access is an issue when it comes to rural response rates, Stephens said the COVID-19 pandemic has also played a part in some of the low response rates.
“From March 15 until May 4, the rural communities heard nothing from us,” Stephens said.
Census workers are beginning to get back on track, and the self-response deadline has been extended to October 31, she said.
Eventually, census workers will begin knocking on doors to account for whatever percentage does not self-respond, which costs the agency more resources, manpower and money.
Stephens hopes that all citizens will find a way to get their data to the agency before the deadline.
“You don’t want to leave money on the table,” she said. “You want to make sure your community receives its fair share.”
