Queens Lags Behind On Census Count During Coronavirus Crisis

QUEENS, NY — Just over a third of Queens residents have filled out their 2020 U.S. Census forms, a response rate that lags behind the city, the state and the country.

Queens County's self-response rate reached 33.7 percent on Monday, compared to the city's 35-percent response rate and the state's 40 percent, according to official census data.

Across the United States, nearly 46 percent of people had responded to the census as of Monday, according to the data.

A low response rate is bad news for Queens: The census, which happens every 10 years, determines the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and how to spend hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding for schools, roads and bridges, public transportation, hospitals and other critical services.

The city's health department and emergency management officials also rely on census data to prepare for and respond to emergencies — like pandemics.

Only 62 percent of New York City residents self-responded to the 2010 Census, compared to the national rate of 76 percent, according to city officials. Various Queens neighborhoods also saw substantial undercounts in 2010.

New Yorkers can fill out the census online at my2020census.gov or over the phone by calling 844-330-2020. Click here for more information on the 2020 U.S. Census and why it matters.