New Mexico lags behind other states in Census response due to virus outbreak

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — The suspension of field operations by the U.S. Census Bureau due to the coronavirus outbreak has left some New Mexico residents without the ability to easily participate in the national head count.

Olivia Padilla-Jackson, state finance secretary and the chair of New Mexico’s Complete Count Commission, said this has resulted in artificially lower-than-average response rates and poses a burden for the state to overcome.

As of mid-April, 37% of New Mexico households had responded to the census, compared to a national average of 48%.

Census workers have been unable to hand-deliver forms to households that don’t have standard addresses or that use P.O. boxes. Nationwide, only 5% of the population falls into this category, but nearly 18% of New Mexico households rely on a hand-delivered form. Only Alaska, West Virginia and Wyoming have a higher percentage.

“When you consider that so many New Mexicans haven’t even received an invitation to participate, it’s no surprise we lag in responses,” Padilla-Jackson said.

In those counties where hand-delivery isn’t a major consideration, officials said residents are responding at or above the national average. For example, Bernalillo, Chaves and Los Alamos counties all have participation rates over 45%.

Rural areas that include Catron, Mora and Rio Arriba counties have response rates in the single digits.

The U.S. Census Bureau plans to resume field operations in June.

State officials have been pushing for everyone to participate since it helps determine allocation of billions of dollars in federal funding.