Paper census ballots are being mailed to Orange County households that have not responded to the 2020 census.

For each person who fills out the census — which can be completed online for the first time — Orange County receives $1,800 in both federal and state funding. This can add up to several million dollars for the county government, money used to finance a wide variety of services such as agriculture, schools and the health department.

Orange County still leads North Carolina with a 55.8 percent response rate on the census, narrowly holding an edge over Union County at 55.6 percent.

“To underscore its significance, the US Census is only one of two mandated civilian agencies in the constitution,” Hillsborough Town Commissioner Matt Hughes said. “The other one being the postal service. So that’s how important this is. I encourage everyone to do it. To fill it out. To get it done. And be counted.”

To respond to the 2020 Census, or to learn more information, click here.

If you do not receive paper ballot, call 844-330-2020 to request one or to provide your answers over the phone.

Featured image via the Town of Chapel Hill

Note: 97.9 The Hill has been Chapel Hill and Orange County’s daily source for free local news since 1953. Please consider making a donation to continue supporting important local journalism like this.

Related Stories
‹
North Carolina Could Lose Billions as 2020 Census Deadline Approaches
In late July it was estimated that North Carolina is at risk of losing more than $7 billion dollars in federal funding if the remaining four million uncounted residents do not participate in the 2020 Census before its deadline at the end of the month. In mid-August, the US Census Bureau moved the 2020 Census […]
NC Behind on 2020 Census Responses, Reps Urge Using Online Methods
Participating in the Census helps the federal government determine many things on a local level, from how many seats in Congress a state can get to how much funding towns and cities receive. While it launched in March, the 2020 Census is still open and needing responses. Responding to this version is different from any […]
Orange County Government Prepares for 2020 Census
The 2020 Census is around the corner in April and local government is working hard to prepare. Census results help determine how $675 billion dollars of federal funding flows into states and communities each year. The results also determine how many seats in Congress each state will get. The U.S. Census Bureau has counted the countries’ […]
In Carrboro and Orange County, A Push Back Against Pollution
The Carrboro Town Council and Orange County Commissioners both passed resolutions this week to tackle climate change.
Orange County: Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford With Meeting Recap, Orange County Property for Sale
Orange County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, March 11, discussing county news and events. She recapped this week's Orange Couny Commissioners meeting, which heard updates on the county's 2050 Land Use  Plan, as well as appointment to boards and commissions. She also discussed some property that the county is selling, and the process they have to go through to sell that property. She also discussed the recent midterm elections, which saw her win reelection and the recently opened state senate seat in Orange County.
I-40 Off-Ramp in Orange County Set for Overnight Closures, Concrete Removal
The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced Monday it will begin conducting nightly closures of the west-bound off-ramp from I-40 to North Carolina Highway 86.
Tariffs Are Teases: The Effect of Tariffs on the Adult Goods Industry
In the show's debut episode, Aria dives into how recent tariffs affect for consumers, manufacturers and retailers in the adult goods industry.
Orange County Sheriff: Suspect Captured in Stabbing Death of Hillsborough Woman
Orange County Sheriff’s Office says it has taken 53-year-old Matthew Jared Vukmer into custody. Vukmer is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 54-year-old Paula Floyd at Vukmer’s Hillsborough home Friday morning. The sheriff’s office says an investigator working with the U.S. Marshals Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Capital Area […]
Wild Vehicle Pursuit Leaves 2 Orange County Sheriff's Cars Damaged, 2 Charged for Drug Possession
A cross-county vehicle pursuit on Wednesday resulted in two Durham residents facing several felony changes, as well as a pair of damaged Orange County Sheriff's vehicles and Alamance County properties.
Orange County: Election Reaction, National Association of Counties
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, March 5, discussing town news and events. She offered reaction to Tuesday's midterm primary elections locally, which saw three fellow board members elected. She also recapped feedback from Commissioners who went to the recent Association of Counties conference in Washington, D.C., and more.
›