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Why is the census important? Every person not counted in the census costs South Carolina big bucks.
Two states were at the dead bottom of the list in terms of response rate to the last national census in 2000.
The worst was Alaska, total state population just over 683,000.
The state with the second worst response rate: South Carolina, population 4.5 million. Only 59 percent of state residents returned their census forms in 2000, just a bit better than the 56 percent response rate in Alaska. Neighboring Georgia and North Carolina raced passed the Palmetto State: their residents turned in nearly 65 percent of the census surveys they received.
By the end of that last population count in 2000 — after census offices send you a survey, then another one, then knock on your door to find out if you really exist — as many as 48,335 people in the state still went uncounted. Sure, it was an improvement from 1990 when nearly 72,000 people went uncounted in the state, but the participation rate still disappointed state officials.
So what happened?
Census officials say they had a hard time getting through to people and making them understand why responding to the census matters. The situation gets complicated when dealing with the state's many rural and low-income areas, where residents are harder to reach and may also be less exposed to advertising and public awareness efforts designed to improve participation.
It gets more complicated taking into account the state's growing Hispanic population, a subset of the population sometimes hidden behind a language barrier or, for some immigrant workers, a fear of talking to or participating with the government.
And even in wealthy areas with gated communities and manicured lawns, census counters run into trouble, either from people who distrust the government or from residents who just aren't paying enough attention.
"We believe that the biggest thing was that there was a breakdown of comprehension that this form actually was important and made a difference," said Rania Jamison, public information coordinator for the state's 2010 census effort. "You've got busy individuals. We just believe that they did not understand how important that form was and how it equated to providing their exact desires for their communities and their families."
Jamison is talking about two arguments that will be the sharpest arrows in their quiver this year. First, there's the state's share of $400 billion in federal money that is distributed based on census data. Every person not counted in the census costs South Carolina $1,200, the state says. Second, considering the state's population boom over the past decade, the state just may be due to pick up another seat in the House of Representatives, strengthening South Carolina's voice in national affairs.
"We only get to do this every 10 years, so what we do know will impact us," said Carl Statham, manager of the Beaufort census office, which opened in October.
This time around, federal officials and their state and local counterparts are digging in for a major campaign to make sure nearly every South Carolinian from Chestnut Springs to Coosawhatchie is counted. This is the first year South Carolina has allocated state funds to pay for some census activity, and some 12,000 people will eventually be employed as enumerators to go door to door to follow up on unreturned surveys.
"It will be a massive undertaking," Jamison said.
What you can expect
The census survey forms will begin appearing in residents' mailboxes in mid-March. The survey contains 10 basic questions that officials say take a few minutes to answer, and the results are completely confidential. One in six residents will receive a longer form with more detailed questions. Then, if the first form isn't returned, census workers sent out a second form in the beginning of April. If that form again goes unanswered, then the enumerators hit the streets and start knocking on doors.
"It just takes 10 simple minutes to make a huge impact on our community," Jamison said. "There’s a direct correlation between this and things we all want for our community."
Beaufort County's response rate lagged behind the state average in 2000, with only 54 percent of county residents returning surveys.
Hilton Head and Bluffton fared even worse, with only 47 percent responding from the island and 49 percent in Bluffton. About 1.7 percent of the county's population wasn't counted at all, according to Census Bureau estimates.
Hispanic Outreach
State and federal census officials are putting more focus on counting Hispanic residents for the first time this year.
In addition to Spanish speakers hired by the federal government to knock on doors, there will be advertising in Spanish-language newspapers, magazines and on radio shows, said Tracy Semenza, the Hispanic outreach program coordinator.
The size of the state's Hispanic population has grown from 2.4 percent of the total population in 2000 to an estimated 4.1 percent in 2008. Officials are worried about getting an accurate count of that population since a language barrier can make outreach difficult. Some may be afraid to reveal themselves as undocumented immigrants. But the census just needs to know how many people are in the state regardless of immigration status, Semenza said.
"With the Hipsanic population, we really want them to understand that the federal funds trickle down to local government, emergency services, building new hospitals," she said. "We need them to know that if they're going to partake in these services — and we all do — then we need to take part in the funding, and we need an accurate census count."
