Deadlines for census response extended due to COVID-19
SALT LAKE CITY (July 12, 2020) — It’s not too late for Utahns to be counted by taking the 2020 Census. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, response deadlines have been extended. Prior to the outbreak, all self-responses were due by July, but in order to provide more opportunities to respond in these unprecedented times, the deadline has been extended to Oct. 31.
Utah’s current response rate is at 66.1%, nearly matching the state’s 2010 rate of 68.6%. However, many areas continue to have concerningly low responses, particularly in rural counties and multicultural communities. See this interactive map for a breakdown of city and county response rates.
Complete Count Committee members and partners across the state continue to work together through creative means during the pandemic in order to reach hard-to-count communities where events and other plans have been canceled.
The critical importance of an accurate count has been highlighted by COVID-19 and Utah’s earthquake as public safety uses census data to guide decisions about service areas, fire stations, and hospitals. The outcome of the census can also determine political representation down to the local level, including school boards and city councils. Infrastructure decisions like road repairs and public transit development rely on this information. The census impacts every part of life in Utah, so it’s important for everyone to be counted and represented.
The census can easily be completed online at census2020.utah.gov or over the phone at 844-330-2020. Both options are available in many languages, including Spanish.
