Census Spreading Word Ahead Of Survey
The county, along with all of the area cities, have been emphasizing to residents the importance of getting an accurate count for this year's census, which determines federal and state funding and could create a new congressional district in South Carolina. March will be full of visual reminders and the final push to make sure residents understand the forms that will soon show up in their mailboxes.
"We've gotten 380 to 150 buttons made for each of the municipalities for you to do what you want with them. We've had movie posters, 400 in English and 200 in Spanish, printed and split them up for everyone. And, we have a letter translated into Spanish asking store owners if we can place posters in their windows," said Horry County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier. "We do similar marketing when we put out our hurricane guides, and it works out well."
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South Carolina had one of the lowest response rates to the mailed out census surveys in 2000, with 58 percent of residents returning the surveys, second only to Alaska, according to the Census Bureau. Of South Carolina's 46 counties, Horry tied for the second lowest response rate with 48 percent of residents responding, and inside Myrtle Beach city limits, only 47 percent of residents responded. Census volunteers spent countless hours knocking on doors during May to make sure residents were counted, but Horry County staff estimates the county was still undercounted by more than 45,000 addresses.
This year, the county and the various cities have been using Geographic Information Systems data to provide aerial photos, utility records and public safety address mapping for disputed addresses. The county still has about 18,000 addresses under dispute by the Census Bureau, which could amount to more than 40,000 residents not being counted. Tim Oliver, the GIS manager for Horry County, said those addresses are in the appeal process, meaning if the contentions are resolved after the surveys are mailed, Census workers will make a personal visit to the homes to make sure they're counted.
The county has spent about $22,000 so far to print posters, fliers and billboards in English and Spanish, as well as to create other swag such as pins and pencils to giveaway and create buzz around the census. North Myrtle Beach has scheduled a census awareness celebration March 27 that will include food, rides and counting games centered around guessing the number of jelly beans, gold tees or other items in a jar to get people geared up for the surveys.
The county census committee will look at placing posters at day cares, emergency rooms, the state Department of Social Services offices and some of the other areas where new residents or historically undercounted minorities may visit. The committee is also planning to make sure that residents at the county's jails, homeless shelters, campgrounds and RV parks are counted in the Horry County Census numbers. Horry County Schools has also been busy using the census as learning a tool as well as an opportunity to reach parents.
February 27, 2010
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