Hogan: Md. finished 9th among states in its 2020 U.S. Census response rate

@BryanRenbaum

With the participation of more than 2.2 million Maryland households in the 2020 U.S. Census-99.9% of the state’s total population-Maryland finished ninth in the nation in its self-response rate, Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday.

“Our administration is proud that even amid all of this year’s challenges, Marylanders stepped up with one of the country’s leading response rates to the 2020 Census,” Hogan said in a statement. “The participation of 2.2 million Maryland households will mean critical federal funding for our state over the next decade for services used by our citizens every single day—from meals to Medicare and health care to highways. I want to sincerely thank all of the community leaders and volunteers who helped make this a successful Census for the State of Maryland.”

Planning Secretary Robert McCord echoed similar sentiments.

“This process has been a testament to the power of collaboration,” McCord said in a statement. “Partnership efforts among the state and local complete count committees (CCCs) along with the tireless commitment of nonprofit organizations, businesses, faith leaders, and other state agencies will make a difference in the lives of all Marylanders for years to come. Each has played a role in helping to shape the future of Maryland.”

Carroll County had the highest self-response rate in the state at 81.5%. It ranked 24th out of the more than 3,200 counties in the nation. Maryland’s internet self-response rate was the fourth highest in the nation.

Maryland’s 2020 Census participation far surpassed that of 2010, when the state’s self-response rate was 69.5%.

The Census is done every ten years and is critical to assessing state’s funding needs for key programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and projects such as school construction.

There are 134,329 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland as of Friday morning, according to the state’s Department of Health, and 3,887 people in Maryland have died from the virus. The state’s positivity rate is at 3.09%, which is slightly higher than it was last week but is still better than that of most states in the nation. Maryland has tested more than 3 million people for COVID-19.