Census data collection ends next week

There is still time to complete your 2020 Census as the deadline date has been pushed to Oct. 5 following the announcement from Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. 
Over 98% of housing units have been accounted for in the 2020 Census as of Sept. 29, with 31.9% counted by census takers and other field data collection operations, and 66.5% of housing units responding online, by phone or by mail according to a press release. 
Georgia is currently ranked 47th as of Thursday with a total enumerated count of 96.4% according to the census website. This includes self-response and nonresponse follow ups. 
Habersham County is currently at 61.9% self-response completion with 45.3% completed. The percentage of Nonresponse Follow Up Rate Workload completed by the Gainesville Area Census Office (Which includes Habersham) remains at 85%-99.9% completion. 
A low enumeration means the state can lose a congressional seat and federal funding for essential services including Medicare, school lunch programs, roads, infrastructure and much more as previously reported by The Northeast Georgian. 
Habersham County Manager Phil Sutton has previously said grant funding, which relies on Census information, is second greatest source of funding for Habersham County. Over the last five years the county received $33 million in grant funding for roads, bridges and, public safety among other things.
Visit 2020census.gov to complete your census. Computers are also available at both the Clarkesville and Cornelia libraries. 
– Staff writer Eric Pereira contributed to this articl