If you follow the Wasco County Planning Department Facebook page you will have noticed sharing of Census 2020 news and public service announcements.
Accurate population numbers and demographic information are critical to the work we, and other government organizations, do. It helps when applying for grants to showcase need, gives us an idea how to forecast demand for long range planning, provides a basis for analysis for conditional uses and zone changes, and helps guide the type of handouts we offer (and the languages those handouts are produced in).
The majority of Wasco County (middle and south County) are in one large census tract. This area has been identified by the US Census Bureau as a Hard to Count area. These are identified census tracts nationwide where there is low return of census packets.
Depending on this year’s census returns, Oregon may gain a Congressional seat. This makes results even more critical for Wasco County residents and Oregonians.
Census 2020 can be submitted online, via mail or by phone. The US Census Bureau is bound by law to keep your answers confidential.
We are interested in ways to help support increased returns of census information. Take this brief poll to let us know how to improve Wasco County’s Census returns: