60 percent in Clark County have filled out US Census forms

Nearly 60 percent of households in Clark County have filled out U.S. Census forms, which is on par with the current national average and the county’s participation rate a decade ago, officials said this week.

But it also means that about 40 percent of potential federal funding is still being left on the table that could bankroll programs for community essentials such as health care, schools and transportation.

The once-a-decade census informs how much federal funding is distributed to Nevada, with more than $6 billion at stake.

“As we work to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, I can’t stress how important it is for everyone to be counted in this year’s census,” Clark County Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick said in a statement Monday. “It means more federal funding for our state and our community over the next 10 years, and we want to get every dollar we deserve.”

The U.S. Census Bureau is expected this week to drop off questionnaire packets at the front doors of some 50,000 households in Nevada that do not receive mail at their physical address, county officials said.

Since the census kicked off in mid-March, 59.4 percent of county households have participated, only slightly under the national average of 59.6 percent, according to the county. Both averages are better than the state, which has seen a 58.7 percent participation rate.

But Nevada leads the nation in beating the expected response rate at this point, according to the county, citing the Southern Nevada Counts’ “Win the Census” campaign.

Visit 2020Census.gov to fill out the form online. To do so toll-free by phone in Southern Nevada, call 844-330-2020 for English; 844-468-2020 for Spanish; and 844-478-2020 for Tagalog.

Hearing-impaired individuals may also call 844-467-2020, the bureau’s toll-free Telephone Display Device number.

Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.