With 30 days to go, third of county uncounted

With the deadline only amonth away, the effort to get accurate representation has an uphill climb.

Montgomery County ranks 50th out of Ohio’ s 88 counties when it comes to households that have completed the 2020 Census.

With the 2020 Census deadline 30 days away, local leaders say all hands are on deck to get an accurate count as there is one third of Montgomery County still not accounted for in the 2020 Census.

Nikol Miller, the chair of the Dayton-Montgomery County Complete Count Committee, said the last 30 days will be crucial to getting a complete count.

“Dayton finally crossed that 50% threshold, so I’m celebrating that,” Miller said. “Every point counts as a victory.”

Nearly 70% of Ohioans have filled out the 2020Census, according to Census data published on Aug. 25, the most recent available. Sixty-seven percent of Montgomery County residents have completed the 2020 Census, ranking the county 50th out of Ohio’s 88 counties.

At the beginning of August, Montgomery County ranked 53 out of 88.

Montgomery County Commissioner Carolyn Rice said it is important for the 2020 Census figures to be accurate, so that the county can get the federal funding it needs for services, like food assistance programs, childcare and hospitals.

“We’ve got 33%, a third of the people, not yet inthe count,” Rice said. “Getting an accurate count is absolutely vital. It brings about $18,000 per person to our community. We want to make sure we get our count up.”

Dayton, with a 51% response rate, ranks 775 out of 928 Ohio cities for the percentage of residents who have responded to the census.

Some Miami Valley communities, like Bellbrook, Springboro, Centerville and Tipp City, have response rates of over 80%. Three quarters of Huber Heights residents have responded to the census.

Miller said she and the complete count committee are now focused on local communities with response rates lower than 60%, like Trotwood and Harrison Twp. According to Census Bureau data, Trotwood currently has a

55% responserate. Trotwood has held census drives to get the city’s number up.

Census workers started knocking on doors locally on Aug. 11, Miller said. They will be out counting people until Sept. 30. Sept. 30 is also the last day to fifill out the census questionnaire online and over the phone.

Miller said, in an effffffffffffort to count asmanypeople aspossible, the Dayton-Montgomery Complete Count committee will be at the Montgomery County Job Center, 1111 Edwin C. Moses Boulevard, on Mondays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help residents fifill out the 2020 Census online.

The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) isnowoffffffffffffering freeday passes to people who complete their 2020 Census at the station. Miller, whois also an RTA employee, said census workers will be out front of the platformwith laptops to help people fifill out their 2020 Census from noon to 6:30 p.m. everyWednesday.

Miller said agencies, like RTA, that get federal funding depend on the census to have an accurate count of the people who use their service. The number of representatives Ohiowill get in Congress also depends on census data.

“We need all hands on deck,” Miller said.“We have to live with these numbers for the next 10 years.”

Rice encouraged Miami Valley residents to fill out the 2020 Census.

“Take the 10 minutes,” she said. “Don’t be afraid. It is so vital.”