Clermont County Answering the Census Call
Batavia, Ohio. The Clermont County mail response rate for the 2010 census is now (April 7, 2010) at 72 percent, well ahead of the national 62 percent response rate. “It is really important that each and every resident of Clermont County is counted,” said Clermont Commissioner Ed Humphrey, who is also a member of the Clermont Counts 2010 Census Committee. “An accurate count of every man, woman, and child assures that the county receives the correct amount of funding to help build hospitals, schools, roadways, and provide emergency and social services.”
If you did not get a 2010 Census form, because you live in an area with a post office box or have moved to a new home in the past year, forms are available at four locations in Clermont County: Bethel Tate High School (located at 3420 State Route 125 in Bethel), Batavia Township Hall (located at 1535 Clough Pike in Batavia), Promont House Museum ( located at 906 Main Street in Milford), and the Clermont Census Bureau local office (located at 1077 SR28 (Suite 103) in Milford).
To reduce the estimated $2.7 billion cost of following up with households that fail to mail back their 2010 Census questionnaires, the U.S. Census Bureau has begun mailing second forms to approximately 40 million housing units in areas that had below-average response rates in the 2000 Census. “We estimate that the second mailing could increase America's mail participation rate in the 2010 Census by 7 to 10 percentage points, and doing so would save taxpayers more than $500 million,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. It costs the government just 42 cents in a postage paid envelope to get a questionnaire back in the mail, but it costs taxpayers an average of $57 to count a household that fails to mail it back. Households have until mid-April to mail back their 2010 Census forms before census takers begin going door to door to residences that failed to respond.
The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions; it takes only 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect your answers.
What is the U.S. Census?
“Census” means a count of the population. Based on the previous U.S. Census, Clermont County’s population stood at 195,385. In Clermont County, the population increased a whopping 28.8 percent between 1990 and 2007; overall, Ohio's population grew 5.4 percent.
The United States Constitution requires that the number of people living in the United States be counted every 10 years. All United States residents must be counted; this includes both citizens and non-citizens.
Why is the Census important to Clermont County?
The U.S. Census determines the distribution of more than $400 billion annually to state and local government to fund critical community services. It generates thousands of jobs across the country.
Census data guides planning for new hospitals, roads, job training centers, schools, and more. The data is used to create public policy concerning land use, housing, transportation, economic and workforce development, education, public safety, emergency preparedeness, and health care.
The Census is utilized to draw federal, state, and local legislation districts. The statistics are used to attract new businesses, forecast future transportation needs, plan for hospitals, draw school district boundaries, and design public safety strategies. It is also utilized to determine the need for additional social services, block grants, and other grant programs essential to many communities. The data that is collected justifies the need for after school programs and the designation of urban revitalization areas.
When will the Census be completed?
By law, the U.S. Census Bureau must submit state population counts to President Obama by December 31, 2010 to kick-off the process of deciding what Congressional district you live in, and ultimately, who will represent you.