Washington Countians lauded for census response
Census data translates into power. Population statistics factor into hundreds of billions of dollars in federal allotments to state and local governments every year.
So the U.S. Census strives for a complete count, and hopes residents will have the same goal.
Washington County residents have been a bit more conscientious than the average American or Pennsylvanian when it comes to reporting census data.
Dawn R. Petrosky, partnership specialist affiliated with the Philadelphia Regional Census Center, notified Washington County officials that the response rate here has reached 57%.
“Because of your efforts, the county’s response rate continues to outpace both that of our state, 56.2%, and the nation, 54.6%,” Petrosky wrote.
Although 2020 Census operations are currently paused, the bureau continues to plan for the time when operations fully resume. This includes hiring census takers in Washington County at a current rate of $22 per hour.
These temporary positions include paid training and travel reimbursement. The website 2020census.gov/jobs has more information and features an application.
According to the 2014-18 American Community Survey, Washington County has a population of 207,547 with 84,100 households with an average household size of 2.4. Greene County’s population was measured at 37,144, with 14,211 households and an average household size of 2.37.