Get ready. Census workers are coming.
The 25 percent of Forsyth County residents who didn’t fill out their 2010 U.S. Census form can count on a visit starting Saturday.
“We’re trying to get the information that we had hoped they would send in on their own,” said Richard Gormly, manager of the Alpharetta Census Office, whose coverage area includes Forsyth.
The county has posted a mail response rate of about 75 percent, up from 72 percent in the 2000 census.
In addition, Forsyth is also ahead of the national and state response rates of 72 percent and 69 percent, respectively.
Overall response is higher this year than in 2000.
Census workers will be traveling the county making stops at every residence that didn’t respond to the surveys, which went out in March. The in-person visits take about five to 10 minutes, Gormly said, just as long as filling out the survey did.
For every 1 percent of the population that doesn’t respond to the questionnaire, census figures show, it costs about $2.7 million to track down their responses through other means.
The 2010 Census is more than just a complete count of the nation’s population.
Information compiled from the census has many purposes, including dispersing about $300 billion in annual federal funding and redistricting of congressional seats.
The Alpharetta center will close by the end of September, with all numbers reported by Dec. 31.
Gormly said he hopes people will “be open to providing their information when people come knocking on their door or ringing their door bell.”
“It’s easy, it’s safe and it’s important,” he said. “We’re trying to get the best and most accurate count that we can possibly get.”
The 25 percent of Forsyth County residents who didn’t fill out their 2010 U.S. Census form can count on a visit starting Saturday.
“We’re trying to get the information that we had hoped they would send in on their own,” said Richard Gormly, manager of the Alpharetta Census Office, whose coverage area includes Forsyth.
The county has posted a mail response rate of about 75 percent, up from 72 percent in the 2000 census.
In addition, Forsyth is also ahead of the national and state response rates of 72 percent and 69 percent, respectively.
Overall response is higher this year than in 2000.
Census workers will be traveling the county making stops at every residence that didn’t respond to the surveys, which went out in March. The in-person visits take about five to 10 minutes, Gormly said, just as long as filling out the survey did.
For every 1 percent of the population that doesn’t respond to the questionnaire, census figures show, it costs about $2.7 million to track down their responses through other means.
The 2010 Census is more than just a complete count of the nation’s population.
Information compiled from the census has many purposes, including dispersing about $300 billion in annual federal funding and redistricting of congressional seats.
The Alpharetta center will close by the end of September, with all numbers reported by Dec. 31.
Gormly said he hopes people will “be open to providing their information when people come knocking on their door or ringing their door bell.”
“It’s easy, it’s safe and it’s important,” he said. “We’re trying to get the best and most accurate count that we can possibly get.”