San Clemente Census Response Ranks Tad Below O.C. Average

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — Seventy-one percent of San Clemente households successfully have completed their 2020 U.S. census, ranking the city 161st statewide and slightly below the Orange County average. And officials now are attempting to reach and remind the remainder of residents to take a few minutes and answer the questionnaire.

Orange County ranks sixth out of 58 counties statewide for its 2020 census response as of Aug. 11, with 72 percent of O.C. households having completed the form, either online, by phone or by mail, according to government officials.

Fountain Valley, Mission Viejo and Yorba Linda are among top-performing cities in the county, hitting 80-percent response rates, the U.S. Census Bureau said, adding that the deadline is Sept. 30.

While O.C. numbers mostly are on track, a few cities, including Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, are lagging with roughly 60 percent of households having turned in forms.

The California response rate, overall, is 64.9 percent, landing the Golden State 22nd of U.S. states (including Puerto Rico and Washington D.C.). Nationwide, to date, 63.4 percent of U.S. households completed responses, the agency said.

Results from the 2020 census are used for local political-representation planning and funding of critical public services, emergency/disaster response, schools and education for the upcoming 10 years.

"These census results will shape decisions about how billions of dollars in federal funds flow into communities each year for the next decade," officials said.

For every person who does not respond, $1,000 will be lost annually for the next 10 years in federal funding tied to the population, the California Department of Finance estimates.

A few primary questions asked are: the number of people living at a residence as of April 1; the name, sex, date of birth, ethnicity and race of everyone living there April 1; and whether the household owns or rents. Responding takes mere minutes, authorities said.

The "personally identifiable" information — essentially, names — are sealed and will not be released until 2092 under the government’s 72-year rule, and no questions are asked about a person's citizenship, the bureau said.

Census responses can be made online (details here), by phone or by mail. Reminder emails currently are being sent to households in low-response neighborhoods. These messages will come from 2020census@subscriptions.census.gov and include a link to completing the count.

How do O.C. cities stack up side-by-side for responding?

The following breakdown reflects the most recent available data of households' response-rate by Orange County city, along with how the cities rank among California's 482 incorporated cities for completed questionnaires.

• ALISO VIEJO: 75.1 percent (of residents responded, to date). Ranking: 82nd (of 482 California cities).
• COSTA MESA: 68.4 percent. Ranking: 225.
• DANA POINT: 65.4 percent. Ranking: 294.
• FOUNTAIN VALLEY: 80 percent. Ranking: 18.
• IRVINE: 68.7 percent. Ranking: 218.
• LAGUNA BEACH: 60.7 percent. Ranking: 380.
• LAGUNA NIGUEL: 74.2 percent. Ranking: 102.
• LAKE FOREST: 77.3 percent. Ranking: 51.
• LOS ALAMITOS: 76 percent. Ranking: 68.
• MISSION VIEJO: 80.8 percent. Ranking: 12.
• NEWPORT BEACH: 60 percent. Ranking: 376.
• ORANGE: 73.1 percent. Ranking: 124.
• RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA: 78.8 percent. Ranking: 29.
• SAN CLEMENTE: 71 percent. Ranking: 161.
• SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO: 76.6 percent. Ranking: 60.
• SANTA ANA: 65.7 percent. Ranking: 288.
• SEAL BEACH: 77.2 percent. Ranking: 54.
• YORBA LINDA: 80.8 percent. Ranking: 15.

"If you haven’t responded, please do so today, and urge your family, friends and neighbors to respond, too," census directors said. "It’s easy, safe and important."

And even if your particular town has a respectable response rate, but you have not yet answered the questionnaire, take a few minutes and get your census completed. Follow this link for a step-by-step guide.

Responses now are particularly critical as the agency recently announced the headcount effort will end Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously planned.

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