3 minute read
RURAL OHIO NEEDS AN
by Gannett NEO
By | Jill Sell FREE LANCE WRITER KENT-RAVENNA RECORD COURIER
Photo courtesy: U.S. Census Bureau
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ACCURATE CENSUS COUNT
have You BeeN CouNteD? april 1 was the u.s. Census Bureau’s official Census Day, but not everyone in the united states was counted. Don’t go missing. the Census Bureau is attempting to make the count as easy and as accurate as possible in 2020. For the first time, americans can respond not only to a mailed form, but by phone and online. “You hear how people are moving away from farms, and people in rural areas may think they don’t matter,” said Carol hector-harris, media specialist with the u.s. Census Bureau. “But everyone counts, everyone matters. It’s not just a count. a state can lose a seat in Congress and no one wants to lose their voice in Washington.”
10 | WINter 2020 Census takers may come to your door in may and June if no response has been received. But in rural america, and that include parts of ohio’s agricultural areas in ashland, medina, Jefferson and Wayne Counties, as well as others, census takers face challenges not often found in urban areas. Post office box addresses may replace typical mailing addresses in more rural areas. and sending census takers to homes that are difficult to reach (think unpaved or unmarked roads and sometimes not near other residences) can be time consuming. the u.s. Census is conducted every 10 years as required by the u.s. Constitution. the census provides information that determines the number of representatives each state sends to Congress. It is also used to redraw district boundaries if necessary. local communities need census numbers to better understand the needs for schools, housing, infrastructures and business opportunities.
In rural areas, framers, growers, small town residents and off-the-grid residents need to be
“YOU HEAR HOW PEOPLE ARE MOVING AWAY FROM FARMS, AND PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS MAY THINK THEY DON’T MATTER... BUT EVERYONE COUNTS, EVERYONE MATTERS.” – CAROL HECTOR-HARRIS | MEDIA SPECIALIST, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
accurately represented so their particular concerns about energy, the environment, transportation and communication can be heard. Jacob Coffy is Coordinator of strategic Partnerships for the ashland area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the ashland County Farm Bureau. he believes an accurate population account is vital to obtain grants and government funding for local concerns, including water and soil quality, algal bloom issues and more.
“If we apply for a grant and need $300 million, and our census count is lower than it should be and not correct, the government can say it will give us only $100,000 because we should be able to take care of it ourselves,” warned Coffy.
older americans have special needs in rural areas. according to the 2017 Connectivity summit on rural aging, 25 percent of americans older than 65 live in a small town or rural area. that percentage is most likely increasing (at least through 2030) as baby boomers continue to age. medical and social services, as well as social opportunities, are more difficult for older americans to obtain in rural areas, according to the study. Knowing how many and where older people live in rural america may help bring opportunities for longer and better lives.
the 2020 census is confidential and is not shared with any other government agency or private organizations. migrant workers and foreign h-2a temporary agricultural workers brought to this country should also be counted.
Coffy said the average person has the opportunity to participate in only six to eight censuses in a lifetime. “this is a chance to be counted and make a difference,” he says.
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