Census Update: Contra Costa at 70.3% Response Rate

Residents of Contra Costa County and the United States continue to have until October 31, 2020 to respond to the US Census and as of June 8, Contra Costa was sitting at a 70.3% response.

On May 27, the US Census reported that more than 60% of US households have responded to the 2020 Census, 4 out of 5 households responded on their own choosing to do so online  at 2020census.gov. Current internet self-response rates are 9.2 percentage points above Census Bureau projections, as households continue to favor online to phone and mail in responding to the census.

“The stakes are incredibly high – billions of dollars in federal funding for our County and representation in our government,” said Board Chair, Candace Andersen. “From day one, our focus and the key to ensuring a complete count has been to reach the hard-to-count populations in Contra Costa County. Everyone counts.”

“Contra Costa County has been preparing for this moment since late 2018, building a coalition of partners and trusted messengers to encourage everyone to be counted, counted once, and in the right place, and to want everyone to be counted”, said Supervisor Diane Burgis. “As soon as you receive your invitation, either in the mail or hand delivered by Census enumerators in areas of our county who receive mail at P.O. Boxes, please complete the survey. Your response will have an impact on Contra Costa County’s future for the next 10 years. We don’t get a do-over, so make sure that you and everyone you know is counted.”

Self-Response Rate Report (June 8–PDF)

The invitations sent out on March 12 are the first notices Californians will receive by mail from the U.S. Census Bureau to encourage participation in the Census. Reminder letters will be sent from March 16 through April 3. Two additional reminders will be sent before May, when Census enumerators will begin going door to door visiting homes that have not responded.