Richland County Council issued a proclamation Tuesday designating June as Richland Counts Month, in an effort to encourage residents to respond to the 2020 Census.

Along with the proclamation, Richland County joins the S.C. Complete Count Committee in observing the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Day of Action on Wednesday, June 17. The goal of the statewide initiative is to get at least 200 households in each county to respond to the census on a single day, increasing the state’s self-response rate by two percentage points.

Thus far, Richland County’s self-response rate for the 2020 Census is 57.2 percent. While higher than the state’s response rate (55.9 percent), that figure is below the national 61.4 percent response rate.

Residents are encouraged to respond to the survey online at www.2020census.gov, by phone or by mail if they have not already done so.

“Richland County Council wants the County to be counted completely and accurately in the 2020 Census, which will benefit the community greatly over the next 10 years,” said County Council Chair Paul Livingston. “Census data plays a critical role in Richland County receiving federal funding used in our community for health care, education, public safety, infrastructure, employment and growth.

“Ensuring that every person in Richland County is counted guarantees that we do not miss out on dollars that can be spent on programs that serve and benefit our community,” Livingston said.

In addition to affecting how federal funding is allocated, census data drives decision making for economic development, school construction, emergency infrastructure, disaster relief and legislative districts, all of which influence Richland County’s quality of life.

People who did not receive a mailing or who need assistance completing the census survey should call the toll-free 2020 Census line at 844-330-2020.

To learn more about the 2020 Census, visit richlandcountysc.gov/richlandcounts.

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