BLAINE COUNTY, Idaho — Statewide, Idaho has one of the best census response rates in the entire country, but that's not the case for all its counties.
Blaine County's response rate is 39.9 percent, much lower than Idaho's statewide rate of 68.6%. The lowest response rate in Idaho is Camas County, at 30.1%.
For non-profits like the Hunger Coalition in Blaine County, data from the census is vital--not just for them, but for the whole community.
"That does so much good for our entire community. It drives those funds we need, and makes sure they're proportionate to the number of people we have in our community," said Kristen McMahon, the Communications and Development Supervisor for the Hunger Coalition. "Just making sure that our community is well funded, our schools are well funded, that our makeup in the local government is reflective of who we are in the community. Just making sure we have the voice and resources we need to thrive."
As Idaho News 6 has reported, the Crisis Hotline Idaho in Blaine County is working to make sure the Hispanic and Latino community are accounted for in this Census.
"Because of all of this, it's been nice to see that our Hispanic and Latin community reach out to us because they trust us," Tammy Davis, Executive Director of The Crisis Hotline Idaho, said.
For many undocumented people, filling out the Census may be confusing, and some may have never even heard of it.
If you're curious about the census response rate where you live, click herefor an interactive map.
