RALEIGH — Nearly 45% of all North Carolina households have responded to the US 2020 Census as of Sunday, but that trails the national average of 47.9% — and Scotland County has dropped to No. 58 within the state at a 41.1% rate.
North Carolina now ranks No. 36 among the country’s 50 states and District of Columbia for response rate and is No. 8 among southeastern states, trailing Virginia at 53.5%; Kentucky at 49.5%; Tennessee at 48%; Alabama at 47.2%; Mississippi at 46.4%; Florida at 46.1%; and Georgia at 45.3%.
Among the state’s 100 counties, the highest response rates are coming from Orange at 54.8%; Union at 54.6%; Wake at 53.8%; Chatham at 52.2%; and Davie at 50%.
The five lowest-responding counties in North Carolina as of April 12 are Graham at 16.9%; Avery at 18.2%; Jackson at 21.1%; Dare at 21.7%; and Swain at 22.3%.
According to US 2020 Census Bureau information, “suspension of Census Bureau field operations continues to impact lowest-responding counties.”
“As we reported last week, these counties had a high proportion of “Update/Leave” households that were expected to receive a paper questionnaire during this phase of operations,” a press release stated. “As field operations remain suspended due to COVID-19, many of these households have not yet been invited to participate.”
In Scotland County, 24.5% of households responded to the census online, as compared with 38.4% of all NC households; 16.6% of Scotland households responded to the census by phone or mail, versus 6.5% of all NC households.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
