SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County has seen a nearly 5% increase in its response to the 2020 Census above the 2010 response rate, according to state census data.
Data collected through Tuesday indicates 72.9% of county households have responded this year, as opposed to 68% in 2010, mirroring an increased response rate statewide.
Census officials say that California's 2020 self-response rates surpassed the 2010 rate on Wednesday, with 68.4% of California households responding either online, by phone or mail. The 2010 rate was 68.2%.
State census officials touted the success of their outreach campaign, particularly given California is considered one of the ``hardest-to-count'' states in the country due its size and a high number of people who are difficult to contact for census purposes, such as recent immigrants, people who lack high-speed internet access or people with limited English proficiency.
Campaign efforts will continue until the Sept. 30 deadline.
``It is through the collective efforts of millions of Californians that we have surpassed our 2010 self-response rate. But make no mistake -- we are not done yet. We know the hardest-to-count Californians still may be missed or undercounted given the shortened deadline, so it's essential these households complete the form now,'' said Ditas Katague, director of the California Complete Count -- Census 2020.
``With two weeks left, our message is loud and clear: Californians need to act and fill out their Census forms,'' Katague added. ``We have just days to secure funding and representation in our state for the next decade. We haven't been without our challenges -- federal operational changes and instability, the impact of COVID-19, wildfires and more.
Given all that, we are proud of this milestone and all those who have stood up to be counted for their families and their communities.''
