Alva Review-Courier -

How much are you costing Woods County residents? Every person not counted in the 2020 Census causes the county to lose out on federal funding. It’s estimated that each person is valued at $1,675 each year for ten years to help fund numerous community programs, hospitals, schools, fire departments and police departments. Census figures are used by businesses looking for places to locate. The numbers are also used in determining representation in government, both state and national.

The Northwest Oklahoma Alliance (NwOA) estimates that an undercount of just five percent will cost Woods County $17,693,854 over a ten-year period. As of Aug. 11, only 51.6 percent of Woods County residents have responded to the census. With that 48 percent undercount, Woods County is set to lose out on nearly $170 million in funding.

Ten years ago the census counted 61.1 percent in the county. NwOA is challenging counties in northwest Oklahoma to beat their 2010 response rate.

Currently Oklahoma lags behind the country in response rates with only about 58 percent of residents completing the census. As of Aug. 11, Oklahoma was 41st in the nation in completion rate.

Rural Areas Stand to Lose More

The parts of the state that could benefit the most from additional funding, particularly rural Oklahoma, are the areas that are the most underrepresented. In the NwOA area, Cimarron County at the tip of the Oklahoma panhandle has the lowest completion rate of 33.1 percent.

Local population statistics and demographic data from the census such as age, race and gender are used by health care providers to identify trends that might indicate future opportunities.

Census results inform federal funding for programs such as Medicaid, Head Start, community mental health services and food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Deadline is Sept. 30

An extension was being sought to extend the census deadline to the end of October, but that has been rejected. The final deadline for the census count is Sept. 30.

Census employees are helping individuals complete the survey in-person in their homes. The census may also be completed by telephone or online. If you no longer have the census form mailed to you or did not receive one, you can still complete the phone or online version.

The 10-question census survey takes less than 15 minutes to finish.

Ways to Respond

• Online at my2020census.gov

• Text “Respond Now” to 313131

• Call 1-844-330-2020 (English) or 1-844-438-2020 (Spanish)

• Complete the questionnaire received in the mail and mail it back