McKinney had the third-highest census response rate among Texas cities with at least 100,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The numbers reflected the most recent count May 10 and showed 66.9% of McKinney residents had completed the decennial questionnaire, which is intended to serve as a complete count of the national population.
McKinney’s share of counted residents outpaced that of Texas as a whole. An estimated 53% of the state’s population had been counted so far. The national response rate as of May 10 was just under 59%.
The census informs decisions about government funding for state and local programs, representation and a host of other public questions.
The city of McKinney provided $50,000 for local census efforts, and in November, the city and the Collin County Business Alliance partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to form complete count committees.
Shirletta Best, the city’s community services administrator, credited the strong response rate to the efforts of McKinney’s complete count committee and of local business partners to help encourage residents to take part in the census.
“Residents know how important the census is,” she said.
She also pointed out the census is easier to take than ever before, with people having the option to fill the survey out manually, over the phone, or online.
McKinney was one of six North Texas cities to rank in the top 10 for response rate among Texas municipalities with at least 100,000 residents.
Residents of Allen had completed the survey at a 72.7% rate, while McKinney residents narrowly led Plano, which had 66.5% responding.
