At 64.1%, Frisco had the seventh-highest census response rate among Texas cities with at least 100,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“We were doing really, really well, and then in, I believe mid-April, our numbers dropped, and it was discouraging,” said Sadaf Haq, chair of Frisco’s Complete Count Committee. “When I saw this latest response rate, I was so ecstatic because it just shows we are a city that is responsive to things that matter.”
Frisco’s share of counted residents outpaced that of Texas as a whole and the national rate. Through May 13, an estimated 53.7% of the state’s population had been counted. The national response rate was 59.1%.
“I am really hopeful that those response rates do include our harder to reach population,” Haq said. “Those were the communities that we really were trying to target in educating that you can fill out the census. This information is not going to go anywhere.”
The census is a once-in-a-decade questionnaire intended to gather a complete count of the nation’s population. It informs decisions about government funding for state and local programs, representation and a host of other public questions.
Haq noted the census can be filled out online this year, and those who still need to respond to the survey do not have to wait for anything in the mail.
"To be honest, I didn't wait for me to get it in the mail," she said, adding it took her about five minutes to finish. "I just went ahead and did it anyway. It's that easy."
Frisco was one of six North Texas cities to rank in the top 10 of response rates among Texas municipalities with at least 100,000 residents. Allen had the highest response rate in North Texas at 72.1%, followed by McKinney at 66.3% and Plano at 65.9%.
The census is available online at https://my2020census.gov/. Households have until Oct. 31 to complete the survey.
