April 1 was Census Day, and while the COVID-19 pandemic may distract from some of the more mundane tasks of everyday life, Gov. Kay Ivey reminded citizens last week the state’s long-term economic recovery may very well depend on accurate and complete Census numbers.
If Alabama’s count in the 2020 Census falls shy of the 72 percent participation rate recorded in the 2010, “the state would likely experience reduced representation in Congress, the loss of millions of dollars in Census-derived community funding and reduced economic development opportunities,” she said. “The COVID-19 pandemic shows the importance of state representation on a national level. If we lose a representative due to a low Census count, that would mean one less voice advocating for Alabama’s needs during critical times in the future.”
Similarly, Kenneth Boswell, chairman and director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) and chairman of the state’s Census effort, said, “though the hearts and minds of Alabamians rests on the unprecedented health emergency we are currently battling, we must remember that our Census results are vital to our collective future.”
As the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) noted in a report published March 27, the self-response rate, sometimes called the initial response rate, is the percentage of households that respond to the initial request to participate. It does not indicate the total percentage of households counted. Households that do not respond to this initial request receive additional requests and, ultimately, a knock on the door from a Census worker.
According to the data through April 5, 44.9 percent of Alabamians have self-responded to the Census online or by mail, which is slightly below the national average. But the Baldwin County response rate sits below both averages at 39.3 percent, while Mobile County is close to average at 43.7 percent.
Among municipalities in the two counties, Satsuma (population 6,154 in 2017) currently has the highest response rate at 56.9 percent, while Orange Beach (population 6,029 in 2017) currently has the lowest response rate at 12 percent. Coastal communities including Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores have similarly low rates of 17.6 percent and 25.1 percent, respectively.
Alabamians can participate in the 10-question Census online at my2020Census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020 or by paper form — all without coming into contact with a Census taker. All participants’ information is protected by strict federal law.
Additional information on Census 2020, Alabama-specific statistics, local community resources and Alabama Counts! campaign assets can be found at census.Alabama.gov.
CENSUS RESPONSES BY CITY
BALDWIN COUNTY
Bay Minette: 44.7 percent
Daphne: 50.8 percent
Elberta: 35 percent
Fairhope: 52.5 percent
Foley: 52.4 percent
Gulf Shores: 25.1 percent
Loxley: 46.4 percent
Magnolia Springs: 42.3 percent
Orange Beach: 12 percent
Perdido Beach: 40.6 percent
Robertsdale: 47.6 percent
Silverhill: 30.3 percent
Spanish Fort: 42.7 percent
Summerdale: 51.6 percent
MOBILE COUNTY
Bayou La Batre: 35.6 percent
Chickasaw: 44.4 percent
Citronelle: 42.1 percent
Creola: 38.2 percent
Dauphin Island: 17.6 percent
Mobile: 46 percent
Mount Vernon: 33.1 percent
Prichard: 41 percent
Saraland: 50.3 percent
Satsuma: 56.9 percent
Semmes: 39.1 percent
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