That next knock on the door may be a U. S. Census Bureau worker.
Milam County isn’t doing that well in answering the every-10-years federal “nose count.”
The most recent numbers indicate that the county is lagging behind its 2010 pace with only 44 percent of Milam residents using the “self-response” forms sent out earlier this year.
Of course 2020 is not the normal census year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DEMOGRAPHICS— According to numbers posted Friday by the Texas Demographic Center, 5,235 Milam County households have not yet responded to the census.
The Center notes 1,370 households would have to respond to bring the 2020 Census level in Milam up to the response level of the last U.S. Census in 2010.
The data indicates the Cameron East tract has the greatest response, between 57 and 62 percent.
Next is the city of Rockdale area with between 51 and 46 percent.
The Thorndale and Cameron West areas check in between with 41 to 50 percent.
The remaining tracts in the county have returned between 31 and 40 percent of the self-response forms.
DOOR-TO-DOOR— Door-to-door visits by census takers are now underway, nationwide and the Census Bureau is informing households that they may also receive a follow-up visit to ensure everyone is counted in the 2020 Census.
So far, 64.9% of all housing units have responded online, by phone or by mail, and another 17.5% have been counted by census takers and other field data collection operations.
In total, over 82.4% of all housing units throughout the nation have been accounted for in the 2020 Census as of Aug. 30.
‘ The Census Bureau says it is working to count the remaining households—about one in every five households across the nation.
On a daily basis, the Census Bureau updates its list of households that have responded.
It is possible that a locally-hired census taker will still visit the address as part of the Census Bureau’s quality assurance program for the 2020 Census even if a household has already responded.
The public is encouraged to cooperate with census takers as they follow up.
For example, census takers are visiting households where there may be some confusion about the address.
If the community’s addresses recently changed or the household responded with an address that does not match the Census Bureau’s address list, census takers will visit to verify the address and collect a response in person.
Residents are urged to “please respond” when the census taker visits.
If a census taker left a notice of their visit, you can respond online or by phone using the Census ID provided on the notice.
This ID links your address to your response and ensures you are counted in the right place.
The Census Bureau says it “has rigorous methods and processes to resolve any duplicate responses.”
ONLINE—If you have not yet responded online, this link will walk you step-bystep through the process:
https://www.census.gov/ programs-surveys/acs/ respond/respond-online. html
See editorial on Census, page 5A.
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