New York State Reaches 2000 Census Mail Participation Rate of 66 Percent

New York City (59 Percent) Surpasses 2000 Mail-Back Rate (57 Percent)

ALBANY, NY (04/21/2010)(readMedia)-- Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez announced today that for the 2010 census New York state has reached its mail participation rate from 10 years ago of 66 percent. At 59 percent New York City has surpassed its 2000 total (57 percent).

Since Friday, eight additional New York counties – Albany, Cattaraugus, Kings, Madison, Oneida, Putnam, Queens and Ulster – have reached or surpassed their 2000 census mail participation rates, bringing that total to 27 of the 60 counties for which participation data is currently available.

Recent tallies from Brooklyn and Queens mean Staten Island is the only borough that has yet to surpass its mail-back rate from the previous census. Meanwhile, the national pace is 71 percent, or one percent below the mail participation rate 10 years ago.

"This is encouraging news, and I want thank all New Yorkers who have submitted their census forms," Secretary Cortés-Vázquez said. "For those that have yet to return their forms, there is still time to be counted. It's important to remember that the information we gather through the census affects our schools, hospitals and roads and many other services that we rely on."

Answers to the 10 census questions are confidential and cannot be shared among government agencies, no matter if you send the form in by mail or if you give your answers to a census taker.

To view a complete list of 2010 census participation rates by state, county and community, as well as an interactive map featuring the locations of Questionnaire Assistance Centers and Be Counted Sites in New York, please visit http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map.

For more information on census updates and events in New York state, please visit www.census2010.ny.gov.

Additional news available at http://www.dos.state.ny.us/about/new2.htm.

New York State Department of State | info@dos.state.ny.us | 518.486.9846 | 212.417.5801

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