ORLANDO, Fla. – The most important count of the decade has coincided with the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and about midway through the scheduled count, about half of Floridians have responded to the survey.
The Census Bureau released data regarding self-response numbers, revealing that 61.8% of people in the U.S. have responded to the 2020 census without the assistance of field volunteers or via phone. Census 2020 marks the first year the survey can be filled out online, with about 49.3% of people responding to the survey via the internet, according to the latest data.
[BE COUNTED: Learn more about Census 2020]
The census largely suspended many in-person practices to collect data due to the pandemic, leaving census officials concerned this could impact hard-to-reach populations. Door knockers are expected to begin visiting homes that have yet to fill out forms as early as mid-July.
The numbers, which were collected through June 28, show 58.9% of Florida’s population has responded to the survey. When factoring in those who have called to fill out their responses or were able to speak to a census ambassador prior to the pandemic, Florida still has a long way to go to make sure each person is counted.
[WATCH BELOW: Orlando lags behind national response rate to 2020 Census]
As for Central Florida, county numbers show about more than half of people have responded to the survey themselves, with Sumter County leading the region with a 69.2% response rate. When looking at cities, Oviedo has the third-highest self-response rate in Florida, at 76.8%. The national response rate is 61.8%.
Response results help shape the future of communities as they determine how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed for health clinics, school lunch programs, disaster recovery initiatives, university grants that could translate into scholarships and other programs and services for the next 10 years.
Scroll below to see interactive charts that display response rates by state, county and city. Check your mail for information on how to fill out the census today.
