By Kelly O’Sullivan
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

While Goodyear households continue to summit answers to their 2020 Census questionnaires, the city’s 64.0% self-response rate puts it in the middle of the pack for West Valley response rates.

As of Tuesday, July 15, Goodyear was fourth on the list of West Valley cities listed on the U.S. Census Bureau’s online tracker, 2020census.gov/en/response-rates. Litchfield Park continued to lead West Valley cities with a self-response rates of 69.4%, while El Mirage remained at the bottom of the list with 53.9% response rate.

The national response rate on July 15 was 62.1%, slightly below Maricopa County’s response rate of 62.6% but well above Arizona’s rate of 58.8%.

Being counted is critical for states, counties and cities across the country because an undercount could mean the loss of millions of dollars, resulting in fewer programs and services.

Not only is the biennial count mandated by the U.S. Constitution, its results impact nearly every aspect of life in America, including:

• Congressional representation. A larger population may mean a larger voice in Congress. A fast-growing state like Arizona could pick up another seat in the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives based on the 2020 count.
• States’ share of $675 billion in federal tax revenue distribution. Based on the 2010 Census, Arizona receives $2,959 per person in federal dollars annually. That money funds everything from Medicare and other healthcare programs for children and adults, to Head Start and school lunches, to road, highway and other infrastructure projects. For every Arizonan not counted, the state stands to lose $887 in federal funding, according to azcensus2020.gov, the state’s informational website on the 2020 Census. If just 1% of the state’s population is undercounted, Arizona would lose $62 million annually, for a total loss of $620 million through 2030, the website states.
• Commerce. Businesses use the data collected to determine where to open new stores, restaurants, factories and offices, where to expand operations, where to recruit employees, and which products and services to offer.
• Real estate. Developers use census data to decide where and what type of housing to build based on population count and community demographics.
• Grassroots. Residents use census data to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life and consumer advocacy.

Census timeline

The final day of the 2020 count is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31. It was originally scheduled for Friday, July 31, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Census Bureau to shut down operations in mid-March and shift schedules several times. The current deadline for delivering apportionment counts to the president and Congress is December, and the deadline for delivering redistricting data to the states is March 31, 2021, according to the Census Bureau’s website, census.gov. Apportionment data is used to determine states’ share of federal dollars. Redistricting data is used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.

According to census.gov, census field workers began contacting households that hadn’t self-responded in Idaho, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, West Virginia and Maine, according to the website.

They’re scheduled to begin contacting households in Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Washington and Wisconsin on Thursday, July 30, and will hit the streets in Arizona and the remaining states Tuesday, Aug. 11.

The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution and has been every conducted every 10 years since 1790, when 650 U.S. marshals carried out the first count. This year marks the first census with an online response option in addition to the traditional online and telephone options.

As of July 15, more than 91.8 million households across the nation had filled out their questionnaires, according to the census website. Of those self-responses, 49.6% were completed online.

Minnesota ranked first in self-responses at 71.6%. Arizona ranked 33rd at 58.8%.

Goodyear impacts

Arizona’s cities depend on population-based allocations from four state shared revenues (sales, income, vehicle license and gas taxes) to provide services like recreation programming, parks maintenance and development, police and fire, and street repairs and maintenance, among others. An accurate count ensures that each city receives its share of revenues.

Based on 2010 Census results, Goodyear receives $343 per person in state shared revenues annually, which equaled about $25.6 million in fiscal 2020, nearly a quarter of the city’s general fund budget.

Results of the 2020 Census could change cities’ annual per-person allocation, so an accurate count is critical.

The 2010 Census recorded Goodyear’s population as 65,275. In 2018, an estimated 82,835 people called the city home. City Manager Julie Arendall said in March that 2019 estimates put the population at just under 89,000.

Who should be counted?

Everyone living in the household as of April 1, 2020, should be included when submitting census responses, whether they live in the home now or not. Part-time residents, including those from other states and Canada, who winter in Goodyear, should respond, according to the Census Bureau.

Kelly O’Sullivan can be reached at kosullivan@newszap.com or 760-963-1697.