Hillsborough County 2010 Census Complete Count Committee Final Report |
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The Hillsborough County 2010 Census Complete Count Committee Final Report is now available online.
A Census Complete Count Committee (CCC) is a volunteer committee established by tribal, state or local governments to increase awareness and motivate residents to respond to the 2010 Census. The CCC is the local "Census ambassador" and is an integral part of the Census process. The CCC is designed to function as the link between the Regional Partnership Program of the U.S. Census and leadership representation of the local community including local governments, the business community, community organizations, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, and media networks.
The purpose of a local Census Complete Count Committee is to plan and implement locally-based outreach campaigns, promote the importance and benefits of responding to the Census, and foster community participation and action at all levels. Particular emphasis is placed on the hard to enumerate population which has traditionally been defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as racial and ethnic minorities, migrant workers, those who are homeless, persons with disabilities, or any group who may not trust or have access to government.
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Hillsborough County Census Response Count Exceeds National Average
With existing resources and no special funding, Hillsborough County 2010 Census questionnaire mail return rates exceeded the national and state response rates.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the final 2010 Census National Mail Participation Rate in Hillsborough County was 75%. That was more than the national response rate (74%) and the Florida response rate (74%). It also is a vast improvement over the County?s Census 2000 response rate of 70%.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Rose Ferlita chaired the Hillsborough County Complete Count Committee. Hillsborough County?s Liaisons, representing the African-American, Asian American, Disabled, and Hispanic communities, were the central core for outreach to those respective communities. Sandra Sroka, ADA Affairs Liaison, and Joyce Russell, African-American Affairs Liaison, were instrumental in compiling a team of Coordinating Committee Members comprised of community leaders in business, education, community-based organizations, recruiting, faith-based, local government and the media.
A key strategy to the Complete Count Census campaign was in using electronic communications as a low-cost means of reaching large numbers of a variety of audiences.
These included Web pages, social media and email campaigns; a television call-in program; and distributing electronic newsletters, fliers and other announcements.
The Complete Count Committee even included low-tech methods of getting county residents to be counted. These included outdoor signage on business venues and school district signage, banners, handout materials, community events, bus bench designs, a school children essay contest, and questionnaire assistance centers.
The response rates within Hillsborough County were:
- City of Plant City - 75%
- City of Tampa - 73%
- City of Temple Terrace - 72%
Response rates of Florida counties of similar municipal size were:
- BrowardCounty- 73%
- Duval County - 72%
- Miami-DadeCounty- 72%
- OrangeCounty- 72%
- PinellasCounty- 76%
Hillsborough County 2010 Census Complete Count Committee Final Report »
Hillsborough County's 2010 Mail Participation Rate Surpasses Previous Census Count
As recently announced by the U.S. Census Bureau, Hillsborough County's 2010 Census mail participation rate is 72 percent, surpassing its 2000 final response rate of 70 percent!
This final response rate was released during the fall of 2000 and included the mail participation rate plus participation achieved from door-to-door follow-up.
Therefore, Hillsborough County still has time to work toward 100 percent participation for the 2010 Census. Nonresponse Follow-up activities begin May 1 and residents are encouraged to open their doors to Census workers as they visit households that did not mail back their census forms.
 Nonresponse Follow-up is Safe
Census takers who go door-to-door as part of Nonresponse Follow-up activities will have census identification badges that contain a Department of Commerce watermark. Census takers may also be carrying a bag with a Census Bureau logo. If asked, they will provide residents with supervisor contact information and/or the Local Census Office phone number for verification. Census workers will never ask for Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or bank account information. If census workers are unable to reach a household member in-person, they will also attempt contact by phone to conduct the interview with a household member. Census workers will never attempt to contact individuals by e-mail.
All responses provided on the 2010 Census questionnaire or to a Census Bureau employee are confidential.
A census taker will visit your home up to six times, each time leaving a door hanger. The door hanger has a phone number on it that you can call to schedule a visit and be counted.
Additional 2010 Census participation rate data is scheduled to be released during the fall of 2010, after Nonresponse Follow-up activities have ended.
Hillsborough County's 72 percent 2010 mail participation rate matches 2010 national and state mail participation rates. In addition, Hillsborough County's rate surpasses other Florida counties of similar size.
In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau is on a mission to accurately count every resident in the United States, starting in April. All U.S. residents are to be counted -- people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens. Census questionnaires were mailed in March and residents should have mailed them back by April 16, 2010.
It is vitally important that every resident fill out the questionnaire or request additional assistance to complete the form if needed. The census data guarantee Hillsborough County receives its fair share of funds from the U.S. government based on the census count of the population.
For more information
If you have questions about the Census, call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance center, toll free:
English: 1-866-872-6868
Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
Korean: 1-866-955-2010
Russian: 1-866-965-2010
Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010
TDD (Telephone Display Device for the hearing impaired): 1-866-783-2010
The lines will be open 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), seven days a week, February 25 - July 30, 2010.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2010 Census Essay Contest
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