The latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show North Carolina lags behind most states in the percentage of residents who have been counted.North Carolina is among the bottom 10 states in the U.S. that have responded to the Census so far. Less than 17% of its households have filled out a Census form, either online, by mail, or by phone. The national average is 19%.
The coronavirus outbreak has slowed down efforts to mobilize citizens and “Get Out the Count” efforts, according to Rebecca Tippett, director of Carolina Demography at UNC Chapel Hill.
“There’s been a lot of investment in planning in-person activities, block parties, very high density outreach," Tippett said. "Obviously those plans are being not just re-evaluated, but changed.”
In the first week of Census counting, the top five North Carolina counties to report are Caswell, Alexander, Lee, Orange and Rockingham.
Added Tippett: “We are noticing that North Carolina is particularly less likely to be responding online, which may mean people have responded to the Census but their responses have not yet been processed at the bureau level.”
The only southeastern state with a lower response rate than North Carolina is West Virginia, at 14%.