Local leaders updated on status of Census

SOUTH BEND — The numbers so far are good, but that's not stopping local leaders from making another Census push. In fact, the local Complete Count Committee did just that on Wednesday. Indiana is ranked in the top 5 in return rates, according to the census website. And while Census officials feel St. Joseph County is doing well, they know the return rates could be better. Leaders from the county, South Bend and Mishawaka were updated on the current numbers for the Census. As of Monday, St. Joe County sat at 65 percent response. Compare that to the final 72 percent rate the county had in the 2000 Census, and officials say there's still a long way to go. But they are encouraged by some individual city and township numbers where percentages range in the low 80s. They're hoping their efforts in the final stretch can bring the rest of the county's numbers up. "I think it's very feasible we can pick up maybe 5, possibly maybe an additional 10 percentage points of response rate through the end of the mail back period," says Chris Dressel, with the Complete Count Committee. "We're hopeful of that because in some cases we've seen localities that have already met or exceeded their rate, and we're still talking another two or three weeks to push the word." Census workers will target areas with low response rates by going door-to-door to make sure that everyone is counted. The Census Bureau website has what they're calling the "Take Ten Map." It's an interactive map that anyone can use to find out the response rates — from the national level, all the way down to their own neighborhood. Click on the link in the “Related Content” box