Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND — Starting March 12, the nation began making history, by self-responding to the 2020 Census.
The goal of the census is to “count everyone once, only once and in the right place,” according to Jennifer A. Hillman, 2020 Census media specialist.
The data collected from the 2020 Census may affect nearly every aspect of your life for the next 10 years, so make sure you do your part and complete your questionnaire, she said.
It has never been easier to respond to the census. The Bureau encourages the public to respond to the 2020 Census online using a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet: Just go to http://www.my2020census.gov. There are also easy options to respond by phone or by mail.
The City of Worland and Mayor Jim Gill is encouraging every citizen to respond to the census online, by phone or by mail.
Gill reminds residents to “count everyone living in your home even if they are not related. Every person living in a household, including newborns and older individuals should be counted.”
He added, “The 2020 Census will provide a snapshot of our nation—who we are, where we live, and so much more.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Washakie County is currently ranked third in Wyoming for self-response rates at 37.5%. Johnson County is first at 41.2% and Laramie County is second at 38.3%. Other counties in the Big Horn Basin ranked in the top 10 besides Washakie County are Park, sixth at 35.4% and Hot Springs, tied with Platte at 10th for 31.7%.
The results of this once-a-decade count determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives. They are also used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
Over the next decade, lawmakers, business owners, and many others will use 2020 census data to make critical decisions. The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children.
The results will also inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. The list goes on, including programs to support rural areas, to restore wildlife, to prevent child abuse, to prepare for wildfires, school lunches, plans for highways and to provide housing assistance for older adults, according to a City of Worland press release.
“Remember, the federal funding determined by the 2020 Census shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location,” Gill said. “We encourage you to please cooperate with census takers if they visit your home – the count is so important for our future.”
TIPS AND FACTS
Most households will receive an invitation to respond to the Census. That invitation will include an ID number that is tied to their physical address. People can also respond over the phone, or if they prefer to wait for a paper form, one will arrive in few weeks.
Hillman said that 95% of households will receive an invitation letter in the mail. The other 5% include households counted through different operations, for example those that receive mail from a P.O. Box, are in an area of low internet connectivity, or are considered group quarters – like college dorms or nursing homes.
That 5% includes Wyoming’s rural/remote areas and addresses, where a packet will be hand-delivered to your door. This packet will include the invitation to participate by mail, the phone number to call AND the paper form. You can go to our Census map to find out how your specific area will receive the 2020 Census questionnaire.
NO WAITING
Hillman said that you do not have to have your invitation or Census ID to complete the 2020 Census online. Just go to http://www.my2020census.gov and then click on “Start Questionnaire” and then click the link underneath the ID field that reads, “If you do not have a census ID, click here.” You just have to answer a couple of questions to verify your identity and address and then you can complete your questionnaire.
Visit http://www.2020census.gov for more information.