Initial response rate for census good

Wednesday, March 29, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevadans are responding to the census better than the national average, Secretary of State Dean Heller said Tuesday after initial figures were released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau report showed 45 percent of Nevada residents have sent in their questionnaires, compared with a national rate of 42 percent. Nevada is third among the 50 states so far.

"I am very pleased by Nevada's preliminary response," Heller said. "Simply by returning their census questionnaires, the people of Nevada are ensuring our state will receive the federal funding it is entitled to."

The target is to get a 70 percent return. In 1990 only 58 percent of Nevadans responded to the count, a return among the lowest in the nation. Nevada had the sixth worst undercount, which resulted in the loss of nearly $200 million in federal funds during the past 10 years, state officials have said.

The preliminary figures show a response rate of 45 percent in Clark County compared to 56 percent in Carson City, the highest in the state so far. The lowest response in the state is Eureka County at 28 percent.

The Census Bureau reports initial returns from Las Vegas at 44 percent, North Las Vegas 40 percent, Henderson 52 percent, Boulder City 53 percent and Mesquite 46 percent.

Yerington leads the state's cities in returning questionnaires at 57 percent.

Heller was named by Gov. Kenny Guinn to coordinate Nevada's drive to get a complete count. The state pumped in $788,400 extra for a media blitz to ensure that people understood the importance of the census. Heller says that appears to be working.

Census response rates will be updated daily by the Census Bureau until April 11. Final figures will be posted April 18 at the Census Bureau website (www.census.gov).

Heller said census forms will continue to arrive in residents' mailboxes for another two weeks. Individuals who do not receive a form by that time should call the census telephone questionnaire assistance number at (800) 471-9424. Census forms are not delivered to post office boxes.