Bureau hopes map will spur compliance

In the 2000 Census, fewer than half the residents in some South Carolina counties filled out and returned the mailed Census forms, and like most southern states, South Carolina's response to the Census was below average.

The U.S. Census Bureau has launched a new interactive map on its Web site that shows response rates to the last Census in the hope that people will try to beat their scores from the last time. The map can be found at 2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map, or link to it through postandcourier.com.

Taxpayers might be interested to know that each 1 percent change in the nationwide response rate represents $85 million in federal spending because of the cost of sending Census takers to each address where residents did not mail back the form.

In the last Census, the lowest response rates in South Carolina were generally in rural, less affluent counties that could benefit most from the federal funding that's tied to population.

"Any number not counted is worth thousands of dollars to the county over the next 10 years," Colleton County Administrator Douglas Burns said. "I think everyone believes that we were undercounted in 2000."

Just 52 percent of Colleton County residents mailed back the Census forms in 2000, well below the state average of 67 percent, but still better than last-place Allendale County, with a response rate of 45 percent.

"The Census people have been in our area considerably to help us," Allendale County Administrator Tim Bennett said. "The school district is printing fliers that will go to all children, who will take them home to their parents, encouraging them to fill out the census."

The county has purchased a sign encouraging participation. Officials are discussing including information in area water bills, and are talking with local businesses about putting announcements on their sign boards.

"It's our one chance every 10 years to improve our quality of life here in a number of ways," Bennett said. "We have the highest unemployment rate (in the state), but this is a very proud county, and the goal of many people is to acknowledge the negatives and overcome them.

"One of those ways to participate in the Census and bring more funding to our county," he said.

Burns notes that this Census could determine whether South Carolina gets another seat in Congress, and that clout goes with additional representation.

Dorchester County beat the state average in 2000, with 69 percent of residents returning the forms, but didn't match the national response rate of 72 percent.

Charleston and Berkeley counties each had a response rate of 64 percent, but within each county, the rate varied widely from place to place.

In Charleston County, for example, the response rate was above 70 percent in parts of Mount Pleasant but dropped to 50 percent in the Hollywood area and plunged to 35 percent at Folly Beach.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the mailed forms take 10 minutes to complete.

In 2000, the federal government saved $305 million because the response rate for the mailed forms was higher than expected.

The federal effort to increase participation has included an advertisement during the Super Bowl, a nationwide bus tour and a television spot on the Nickelodeon children's cable channel featuring the cartoon character Dora the Explorer.

Burns said that local officials also have made plans to encourage more participation.

"Just like many other counties, we have formed a Complete Count Committee, and the Census Bureau came through here before and held a cookout," he said.