Time is winding down for the City of Oak Ridge to get as close to a complete census count as possible. As of September 11, 72.2 percent of households in the city had responded online, by mail, or phone, a press release said.
“With an estimated population of 30,000, this means only about 21,000 of our residents have been counted,” the press release said.
Census takers are still working their way through the community with the goal of boosting that response rate and getting it as close to 100 percent as possible, the release said.
“That doesn’t mean that you can’t still self-respond now,” it said.
If you would like to maintain social distancing, you can self-respond to the census online at 2020census.gov, by phone at (844) 330-2020, or mail back the completed paper questionnaire.
“We really need everyone in Oak Ridge to respond and be counted because this data shapes the number of representatives our district gets,” the press release said. “Additionally, federal bills use this population count to determine funding and grants that help many different aspects of our community including roads and highways, fire and police departments, schools, and health clinics.”
Remember, everything you say to a census taker and share on your Census questionnaire is confidential under federal law and cannot be shared with anyone, including any government agency, the press release said. Census responses can never be used against you in any way.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s goal is to complete its field work by September 30, 2020, in order to have the completed results delivered to the president of the United States by the end of the calendar year, the release said.
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