Oct 25, 2010 By Amy Revak 3 min read

While the national return rate for 2010 census questionnaires was 74 percent, the rate was even better in this region. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the participation rate in Pennsylvania was 77 percent. Regionally, the participation rate in Greene County was 76 percent, Fayette County’s rate was 79 percent, Washington County’s rate was 82 percent and Westmoreland County’s rate was 84 percent.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced Thursday that 74 percent of households in the United States filled out and mailed back their 2010 census questionnaire, matching the final mail participation rate achieved in the 2000 census.

Twenty-two states, 1,553 counties, and 278 cities and townships with a population of 50,000 or more met or exceeded their 2000 census participation rates. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico also met or exceeded their rates.

The final 74 percent mail participation rate includes an additional 2 percent of households that mailed back their forms after April 27, when the U.S. Census Bureau announced a 72 percent participation rate. While these forms were received too late to prevent a visit by a census taker, they were included in the final tally.

“We are very pleased with the public’s response to the 2010 census, and these results demonstrate that the public stepped up to be counted,” Census Bureau director Robert Groves said. Census takers visited about 47 million households that did not mail back a census form by the deadline as part of a series of operations and methods to ensure as complete a count as possible. The Census Bureau either received a form or attempted repeated visits to 100 percent of the identified housing units in the country.

“As the law requires, we look forward to reporting to the nation by Dec. 31 the national and state populations as well as the allocation of seats to each state in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Groves said.

A population count of the U.S. is undertaken every 10 years. The first census occurred in 1790 to determine the number of seats each state would have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the new data will be used to determine boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts, among other things. Census data also is used to determine locations for retail stores, schools, hospitals, new housing developments and other community facilities.

In 2000, Fayette County’s population was 148,644; Greene County’s population was 40,672; Washington County’s was 202,897 and Westmoreland County’s was 369,993. The final mail participation rates for the nation, states, counties, cities, towns and even the neighborhood level can now be found on the 2010 census website at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/2010textview.php.