Cost of ignoring census high for local governments

As Iowans open their census forms in the mail this week, the U.S. Census Bureau says the cost of ignoring them is, quite literally, high.

Census Director Robert Groves said Monday that it only costs the government 42 cents for each prepaid envelope that is used to mail back a completed census form. That compares with an estimated cost of $57 to send a census taker to check on households that don't return the form.

“Mailing back your census form when it arrives will contribute to saving hundreds of millions of taxpayers dollars,” Groves said.

The 10-year census is a high stakes game for local governments, which depend on the response of residents to get an accurate count, and their fair share of federal dollars under population-based allocation formulas.

Iowa had the nation's highest census response rate in nation during the 2000 census, according to Darryl Hysler, manager of the nine-county census office based in Cedar Rapids. The stakes are high this year, with Iowa among the states expected by many to lose a congressional seat based on population.

“A lot of other states are trying to outdo us, including Minnesota,” Hysler said.

Hysler said most residents should have already received a letter notifying them that their census form is coming. Forms should arrive this week. Ten days after the form, another mailing will arrive from the census bureau with thanks for returning the form, and a reminder to those who haven't returned the form to do so quickly.

Residents who haven't returned the form by late April will receive an in-person call from a census enumerator, Hysler said. About 600 enumerators will be ringing doorbells of residents who haven't returned their forms in the nine counties served from the Cedar Rapids census office. They hope to complete their job of gathering census data from those who haven't returned their forms by late July.

Census enumerators will soon begin the process by visiting group living facilities, Hysler said.

Some residents have already received census forms hand-delivered by census employees, Hysler said. They are mainly residents in rural areas who have post office boxes, or whose postal box is not attached to their home.

Census enumerators can be easily recognized by their black census bags and the census identification badges they are wearing, Hysler said.

U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, called on the census bureau Friday to apologize to Coralville residents because the addresses on the census forms they received listed “Iowa City” not Coralville, in the address block.

“Coralville is its own town, and should not be lumped into a neighboring community,” Loebsack said in a statement.