2010 Census Mail Participation Rates in Parts of Florida Behind Rest of the Nation

WASHINGTON, March 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Census Bureau Director Robert Groves noted today that some areas are lagging behind the rest of the country in terms of mailing back their 2010 Census forms. With Census Day on April 1, parts of Florida still have some of the lowest rates of mail participation. Nationally, 46 percent of households have mailed back their forms. But in parts of Florida, the participation rate is significantly lower, with Miami one of the farthest behind at 32 percent.

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"We're concerned about the relatively low response from parts of Florida," said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. "Every household that fails to send back their census form by mail must be visited by a census taker starting in May – at a significant taxpayer cost. The easiest and best way to be counted in the census is to fill out and return your form by mail."

The emphasis on encouraging mail participation in the census is a practical one. For every percentage point increase in mail response, taxpayers will save an estimated $85 million in federal funds. Those funds would otherwise be required to send census takers to collect census responses in person from households that don't mail back the form. After the 2000 Census, the Census Bureau was able to return $305 million in savings to the federal Treasury because mail rates exceeded expectations — a move the Census Bureau would like to repeat in 2010.

"The 2010 Census is easy, important and safe," Groves said. "It's only 10 questions and should only take about 10 minutes to complete."

Some of the cities in Florida with low mail participation rates as of Monday, March 29, 2010, are listed below, along with the Mail Participation Rates they ultimately achieved in 2000:

Miami = 32% (Census 2000 = 62%)

Ft. Lauderdale = 33% (Census 2000 = 58%)

Tallahassee = 35% (Census 2000 = 66%)

Tampa = 38% (Census 2000 = 68%)

The Census Bureau is urging communities nationwide to take charge of their census mail participation rates. Anyone can visit the 2010 Census Web site to see how well their state, county or neighborhood is participating in the census. From the same interactive rate map, anyone can also embed a Participation Rate Tracker "widget" on their Web site that will display an area's latest participation rates.

How to Embed a 2010 Census Mail Participation Rate Tracker Widget

on Your Web Site:

To find and embed a state-wide rate:

1) On the main map page (http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/), click on "View Participation Rate"

2) Enter a zip code or a county or city followed by a state, e.g., "22206" or "New York City, NY," and click FIND.  

3) The map will center; click on the chosen state.

4) A bubble will appear showing the current 2010 rate and the 2000 rate. A "Track Participation Rate" link will be in the bubble. Click on the link and follow the instructions for embedding tracker in your website.

5) Note: To find and embed rates for a lower level of geography, click on the "Zoom In" link.

Editor's note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau's home page. Go to <http://www.census.gov> and click on "Releases."

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau