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Barstow residents urged to respond to the U.S. Census

BARSTOW, Calif. — Nationwide and in California as a whole, responses to the 2020 Census are on track, as more than 62% of households have responded online or by phone, or by mail if they received a paper questionnaire in the mail or on their doorstep.

However, it is vitally important that everyone be counted. Results from the 2020 Census inform planning and funding decisions for such critical public services, emergency and disaster response,  and schools and education programs. In fact, census results will shape decisions about how billions of dollars in federal funds flow into communities each year for the next decade.

As of July 29th, just 55.3% of Barstow residents have responded, ranking 429th out of the state’s 482 incorporated cities. 

And for every person who does not respond, the California Department of Finance estimates that state and local governments will lose out on $1,000 a year in federal funding tied to population for the next 10 years.

Now more than ever, your response to the 2020 Census matters. Responding is easier than ever. For the first time this year, you can respond online. And the census asks just a few questions and takes only a few minutes to respond. 

(Census takers may also deliver a paper questionnaire by hanging it on the front door in a water-resistant plastic bag.)

Making it even easier, the Census Bureau is now sending emails to households in low-response neighborhoods to urge them to respond. If you receive one of these messages from 2020census@subscriptions.census.gov and haven’t yet responded, please click on the link to do so.

Whether you receive an email or not, if you haven’t responded, please do so today, and urge your family, friends, and neighbors to respond too. It’s easy, safe and important.

For more information, visit https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond.html.

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