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Today the Census Bureau reported that the nationwide mail-in participation rate for the 2010 Census has met (and will likely exceed) the 2000 Census rate. If the nation eventually exceeds its 2000 rate, it will be the second decade in a row that the census mail-back rate has increased over the previous decade, a historic shift in one barometer of the nation’s civic engagement.
In communities across the country, local mail-in increases have helped meet this goal. CUNY's Census 2010 Hard to Count online maps help visualize the extent of these local efforts. Our maps highlight the tracts (as well as counties and states) that have surpassed their 2000 participation rates by at least 5 percentage points. The maps display red check marks to identify these “high achievers". Though we will prepare a more detailed analysis next week, the links below provide initial graphic examples of how much improvement has occurred at the local level, especially in cities.
These links bring you to a map that is chock full of red check marks, showing tracts that are above their 2000 rates by at least 5 points (and many are 10 to 20 points higher). As you pan around on the map, you'll notice a pattern within cities of major improvements locally, and not as much outside the cities. It is likely that is consistent with the theory that Census Bureau’s ad campaign plus the work of local advocates helped boost participation in areas that needed it the most.
- Manhattan: http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org//?zoom=12&lat=40.778210703437686&lng=-73.95360031481935&geo=Tracts&category=Shaded_TotPop&basemap=Terrain
- Chicago: http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org//?zoom=12&lat=41.89235144130631&lng=-87.66545112621434&geo=Tracts&category=Shaded_TotPop&basemap=Terrain
- Dallas: http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org//?zoom=12&lat=32.74904731474781&lng=-96.78952999413796&geo=Tracts&category=Shaded_TotPop&basemap=Terrain
- Boston: http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org//?zoom=12&lat=42.31082602737605&lng=-71.05805734095242&geo=Tracts&category=Shaded_TotPop&basemap=Terrain
- Baltimore: http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org//?zoom=12&lat=39.31024800033944&lng=-76.6174698173265&geo=Tracts&category=Shaded_TotPop&basemap=Terrain
- Houston: http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org//?zoom=12&lat=29.77277005521839&lng=-95.34494070132261&geo=Tracts&category=Shaded_TotPop&basemap=Terrain
- San Francisco: http://www.censushardtocountmaps.org//?zoom=12&lat=37.75730876704489&lng=-122.43583151362598&geo=Tracts&category=Shaded_TotPop&basemap=Terrain
The Center for Urban Research has analyzed earlier updates to the Census 2010 mail-in participation rates -- see Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4.
More to come next week! The Census Bureau has scheduled a news conference for April 28 to "announce the final mail participation rate" and hopefully to discuss the next phase of door-to-door enumeration efforts to ensure a full count.
