Giving Compass' Take:

• SmartAsset released a new study of 2020 Census self-response rates in U.S. cities and states, finding that coronavirus has significantly impacted the responses and has highlighted the digital divide that exists in the U.S.

• What are the implications of low response rates in the 2020 census, and how can donors work to address future funding issues? 

•  Read more about philanthropy and the 2020 census. 


Fintech company SmartAsset released a new study of 2020 Census self-response rates in U.S. cities and states, as of May 4.  The cities with the highest self-response rates represent geographical diversity, with the top-10 list including two Midwestern cities, six Western cities and two Southern cities. Northeastern cities fell behind in the ranking, with Boston, New York City and Philadelphia all falling in the bottom 10.

On a state level, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska lead the U.S. in census response, each with response rates of more than 63%. Those four states also led the way in 2000 and 2010.

The nation's current self-response rate sits at 59.1%, according to May 14 data from the U.S. Census 2020 website. While April 1 was the original deadline for residents to self-respond to the census, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has thrown a wrench in outreach plans, like field operations.

To analyze self-response rates on a state and city level, SmartAsset compared data from the 2010 Census to this year's count, while also analyzing the 2020 self-response rates. They found the coronavirus has played a significant role in response rates, compared with 2010, yet the introduction of online responses has aided efforts to get out the count.

Yet, this year's online capabilities have also brought to light the digital divide that many cities still face — which is further amplified by pandemic complications in some areas. SmartAsset found the highest rates of self-responses online in Austin, TX; Seattle; Raleigh, NC; Virginia Beach, VA; and Arlington, TX.

To ensure the 2020 census sees near-perfect count rates, many governments and partners have gotten creative in messaging strategies. Libraries have stepped up as census resources amid the pandemic, providing Wi-Fi and information for in-need Americans, while many cities have ramped up use of social media platforms — even TikTok — to communicate the importance of the count.

Read the full article about census response rates by Kristin Musulin at Smart Cities Dive.