File photo
File photo
DeKalb County saw higher Census response rate in 2020 than the previous decade, the Daily Chronicle reported.
Jolene Willis, the economic development coordinator for the county, told the news media only two of the 14 communities in the county didn't meet or exceed the response rates from 2010. She said that data was remarkable considering the COVID-19 pandemic and everything else going on.
Willis said DeKalb County had a 71.7% total response rate for the 2010 census and so far has had a 74.9% total response rate.
DeKalb Mayor Jerry Smith said that because DeKalb is a college town, there was a struggle getting the student population counted for the census because of COVID-19. He said a lot of students who would normally be counted in DeKalb weren't.
Willis said it was important for everyone to be counted.
“When people want to see new social service programs or improved infrastructure, roads," Willis said, according to the news media. "That’s why this count is so important, to help DeKalb County get as much funding as they can through the federal census as possible."
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