Churchill County officials continue to encourage all residents to fill out the 2020 Census this month if they haven’t already done so as time is running short: the 2020 Census concludes at the end of this month.
“It’s important that Churchill County get its fair share of the $60 billion expected to come into Nevada over the next 10 years from the census data,” said Churchill County Commission Chair Pete Olsen back in January. “It is easy, safe and helps us receive funding for programs like Churchill Area Regional Transportation, or CART, as an example.”
Since March, Churchill County has led all Nevada counties in self-responding to the census and we are currently at a 70 percent response rate. That means there are still about 7,760 county residents who haven’t responded. The City of Fallon’s self-response rate is at 70.9 percent, so
still about 2,378 to be counted. Each person counted in the census brings in about $20,000 to Nevada over the next 10 years for various programs.
Importance
Why is the 2020 census important? For a variety of reasons:
• The census is required by the U.S. Constitution
• It helps determine political representation in Washington, DC (Nevada received another seat in the House of Representatives based on data collected from the 2010 census)
• Helps determine our allocation of $675 billion in federal funding which meant more than $6.2 billion to Nevada in 2016
• The census is secure. By law, data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau cannot be shared with any other federal agency including immigration agencies, law enforcement or agencies determining eligibility for government benefits.
Use of census data
Census data is used for many purposes including:
• Businesses deciding where to open new stores and what type of services and products to offer
• Developers use it to plan where to build new homes and to revitalize neighborhoods
• Transportation planners use census data to decide on roads and public transit routes
• Local governments use census date to decide where to build schools, libraries and parks
• Non-profit groups use the date for their grant applications and delivery of services
Census Process
The census form is about 12 questions requiring about 10 minutes to fill out and centers around age, ethnicity and those living in your household. The information provided will be valid for 10 years (until the next census in 2030) and offers an accurate description of who we are as a people in addition to helping determine resource allocation.
The census does NOT ask for your:
• Social Security number
• Money/donations/contributions to any cause or agency
• Bank account or credit card numbers
• Income
• Political affiliation
• Immigration or citizenship status
The census count ends Sept. 30 so don’t wait to fill it out! Go online at: census.nv.gov or call (844)330-2020 and devote 10 minutes to being counted. Help Nevada get its fair share of federal resources!
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