WADESBORO — September 30 marked the last day to complete a 2020 Census response and Anson County fell below the state’s average of responses, although staying in line with previous Census results.

Back in 2010, Anson County had a self-response rate of 55.2%, according to Roshunda Terry, director of Anson County Cooperative Extension. This year it was 52.3%. Terry explained she does not have access to the responses from those who answered the questionnaire with a Census worker who came to their home. The 52.3% is only of the people who responded by mail, online or over the phone.

As the pandemic gripped every aspect of a normal world, it again affected the collection of Census responses. Governor Roy Cooper instructed North Carolina to shut down on March 30, only a couple weeks after the Census count began. But even with COVID-19, there was only about a three % difference between the response rate for this year and 2010 for Anson County.

“I’m not sure if it was harder to get responses,” Terry said. “I will say that we had to become creative on making sure we got the word out and try to educate people.”

Terry and the team adjusted marketing strategies during the shutdown. It hinder them from helping citizens fill out the Census forms, but not necessarily from receiving responses.

In April, Terry launched a township initiative to increase the response rate. Ansonville and McFarlan were the lowest towns to complete the Census form as of April, but by the end and thanks to the push by the committee, both towns significantly increases their rates.

Lilesville’s self-response rate to the Census was the highest at 55.8%, followed by Wadesboro at 52%, Peachland at 51.4%, McFarlan at 40.4%, Polkton at 39.4%, Morven at 35% and Ansonville 32.9%.

Although Ansonville is the lowest, the town increased from one or two percent in April to a final count of 32.9%, according to Terry.

“I actually reached out to the Mayor and he did a video asking the citizens of Ansonville to please complete it,” Terry said.

Terry stressed the importance of completing a Census form because those responses determine how much federal money the county receives for various programs, schools and transportation.

“We’re very rural and we need every dollar we can possibly get for the improvement of the well-being of the citizens of Anson County,” Terry said.

The biggest problem Terry faced while collecting responses was concerned people hesitant about giving out personal information and not knowing where their information is going. The United States 2020 Census website explains questions will never ask for your social security number, political party affiliation, bank or credit card account numbers, citizenship or money and donations. The questions are geared towards the household and how many people live in that home.

Terry explained how it could take until the end of the year to receive a full and accurate nation count of the 2020 Census and the dollar amount of government funding will most likely be determined next year.

According to the Census site, North Carolina had a self-response rate of 63%, while the whole country’s self-respond rate came in at 66.6%. Again, this is only responses of those who took the initiative to respond online, over the phone or by mail, which where Anson County’s percentage comes from.

The total of the state’s response through both self-responses and by census takers is 97.3, while the county is at 98.9.

Reach Liz O’Connell at 267-467-5613 or at eoconnell@ansonrecord.com. Follow on Twitter at @TheAnsonRecord.