Count Me In: The 2020 Census

The 2020 Census ends September 30, 2020. With the end of the response period comes the end of our chance to influence the next ten years of federal services to South Carolina. Have you completed your Census to make sure we get our fair share?

The Census influences federal assistance in medical care to the tune of over $5.4 billion per year. These numbers affect how much money our state receives to assist with Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Have you completed your Census to make sure we get the best medical care possible?

The Census influences federal assistance with education to the tune of over $2.2 billion per year. These numbers affect how much money our state receives to assist with federal Pell grants, Title I grants to local schools, Special Education Grants, and Head Start. Have you completed your Census to make sure we get the best results from our education system?

The Census influences federal assistance with food programs to the tune of over $1.4 billion per year. These numbers affect how much money our state receives to assist with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, WIC, the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Have you completed your Census to make sure our residents get good nutritional care?

The Census influences federal assistance with transportation programs to the tune of over $700 million per year. These numbers affect how much money our state receives to assist with Highway Planning and Construction, Federal Transit Formula Grants, and Federal Transit Capital Investment Grants. Have you completed your Census to make sure our roads improve?

The Census influences federal assistance with housing to the tune of over $285 million per year. These numbers affect how much money our state receives to assist with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, Very Low to Moderate Income Housing Loans, Public and Indian Housing, and Rural Rental Assistance Payments. Have you completed your Census to make sure we get the help we need to keep roofs over our heads?

The Census influences $12.7 billion per year in assistance to the state of South Carolina. That’s over $125 billion over ten years! Have you completed your Census to make sure we get our fair share? Here are the many ways the Census impacts programs in our state: https://gwipp.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2181/f/downloads/IPP-1819-3%20CountingforDollars_SC.pdf

If you have completed your Census – THANK YOU! Because of your responses, Spartanburg County ranks #9 out of 46 counties in self-response rates and the City of Spartanburg is #52 out of 270 cities in self-response rates. Our other cities and towns are showing tremendous support for the Census, with several already beating their 2010 response rates. But we still have a long way to go. Twenty-five percent of our households haven’t completed the Census, and we need your help to reach friends, families, and coworkers to help us finish this project. To keep up with where we are, simply check out this link: https://public.tableau.com/profile/us.census.bureau#!/vizhome/2020CensusSelf-ResponseRankings/RankingsDashboard.

If you haven’t completed your Census, you still have time to complete it by September 30.

• Go online to my2020census.gov and complete it over the Internet.
• Call 1-844-330-2020 and complete it over the telephone?
• Just got a paper survey – fill it in and drop it in the mailbox – it’s postage paid.
• Last, if you haven’t filled it out yet and get a visit from a Census worker, just visit with them on your porch and let them do the work for you. The interview takes 10 minutes and it literally means a ton of money for us over the next ten years.

And be sure to help the Census workers help us – they’ll wear masks, show ID, and won’t take but just a minute. Help keep them safe while they’re doing this important job!

By simply completing the 2020 Census, you help us help South Carolina be a much better to place to live. Please complete it today!