MONTICELLO — Since our country was formed a census has been held every ten years (beginning in 1790). As next year quickly approaches, the census will once again be held, and as data shows Sullivan County has a low response rate.

According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Sullivan was ranked second to last in the 2010 census response rates in the state, with 69.5 percent (Kings County was last at 67 percent; the highest was Yates County at 89 percent).

A low response rate, also called an undercount, has larger repercussions that many people might not know about. Census data isn't used just for population numbers, it also affects things such as the amount of federal funding an area receives, or political redistricting.

“The decennial census is important for a whole bunch of reasons outside of what most people think of as legislative redistricting,” said Sullivan County Planning Commissioner Freda Eisenberg. “It influences the distribution of billions of dollars in state and federal aid, so it's important that Sullivan gets as high of a count as we can.”

Based on population estimates for 2018, New York State is already projected to lose one congressional district and recent estimates have found that New York could lose another one. Given that the census will serve as the foundation for the upcoming congressional reapportionment, New York stands to lose additional seats in the House of Representatives in the event of an undercount.

Trying to improve the county's numbers is why the Complete Census Count Committee was formed, with Eisenberg and Sullivan County Director of Communications Dan Hust as the co-chairs.

The committee is made up of members from many local community and governmental organizations with the goal to get the word out about participating in the 2020 census, as well as providing support once the census begins in March.

“We would like to market it as a point of community pride, to have people stand up and say I count in Sullivan, in all senses of the word count,” Eisenberg said. “We want people to feel like their presence here matters, and to say we live here we're part of this community.”

One of the challenges in the upcoming census is the switch to an online form, rather than one you send through the mail. In a county with limited internet access, the committee worries that could mean a low response rate.

The last census data from 2010 found that Sullivan County has 22 percent of households with no internet (compared to 18 percent statewide). The new census format will be ten questions that people can answer online; you can even sign up to get email reminders.

If you do not answer the online questionnaire, census workers will knock on your door and ask the questions verbally. The committee will provide stations where people will have access to the online form and will also help them through the process.

There are other factors that contribute to an undercount, and the Rockefeller Institute conducted a study to look at the specific information and found ten metrics. Those ten metrics are: children under five years old, black, Hispanic, over 65 years of age, limited English speaking, poverty, renters, single parents, foreign born, and no internet.

Nicholas Simons, a Project Coordinator with the Rockefeller Institute whose research area focuses on the census, said their study considered the varying reasons for an undercount.

“We should look at these specific demographic metrics and try to figure out what each community has a problem with and what might contribute to an undercount, rather than just saying this area is hard to count,” Simons said. “This allows you to be more targeted with your resources and figuring out what types of populations you need to target.”

The study defines a hard to count area as a community with a self-response rate of less than 73 percent. Simons said in our county the hard to count areas include Monticello, Liberty, Fallsburg and the area surrounding SUNY Sullivan (likely because students and renter populations are harder to count).

According to a report by the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy, New York State received more than $73 billion from 55 federal programs that rely on census data to determine funding. An undercount could result in financial losses in these programs, even though program recipients remain the same or grow.

“If you're talking about 30 percent of an entire county losing its federal funding from these 55 different programs that's a big impact,” Simons said.

Eisenberg said that not only could an undercount mean less funding, it could ward off new business development.

“Census data is still used as a standard baseline data for businesses making their decisions based on demographics,” Eisenberg said. “So if the county is trying to become attractive to certain markets we need to get a complete count and get our numbers up. It works both ways for receiving aid but also attracting private investment.”

As the census begins in March 2020, residents should keep an eye out for the form. Also, the Census Bureau has paid census work. They are recruiting thousands of people across the country. Visit www.2020census.gov/en/jobs.html.

Why the census matters:

• Did you know: an accurate census count is important to receive state and federal funding

• According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, “New York State residents pay more than $35.6 billion to the federal government than they receive back in federal funding — the greatest total dollar negative balance of payment of any state. If there is an undercount, the negative balance that New York taxpayers already face will likely grow.”

• New York State 2010 Census Response rate: 76 percent, 45th in the country

• Sullivan County: 69.5 percent, second to last in the state