The Wright County Board of Commissioners was presented with updated 2020 U.S. Census data last week that showed the progress that has been made in the self-response portion of the census data collection.

The United States Census Bureau makes every effort to get a complete count of the population because those numbers are used to provide funding for education, infrastructure, health care and employment training to name a few. Every community is urged to provide as complete a population count as possible to get their share of federal and state funding for programs that are based on population.

Most people have either filled out their Census form online or have mailed in a paper hard copy form. Minnesota has consistently been one of the top-ranked states for the percentage of the population that completes the form via self-response. 2020 has been no different. Through June 29, Minnesota has a completed self-response rate of 71.3 percent. Wright County currently has a self-response rate of 75.0 percent, one of the highest return rates in the state.

Four Wright County cities have a response rate of more than 80 percent – Hanover (85.6 percent), Delano (83.2 percent), St. Michael (82.8 percent) and Buffalo (80.9 percent). Five townships have a self-response rate of more than 80 percent – Buffalo (84.9 percent), Chatham (84.8 percent), Rockford (84.5 percent), Franklin (84.1 percent) and Monticello (83.7 percent).

Five cities have already had a self-response rate that was higher than the entire 2010 Census period – Buffalo, Clearwater, Hanover, Maple Lake and St. Michael – as well as two townships – Clearwater and Marysville.

On the flip side, two cities have a response rate to date of less than 60 percent – Waverly (58.4 percent) and Howard Lake (46.7 percent). Three townships currently has a self-response rate of less than 60 percent – French Lake (52.3 percent), Corinna (49.7 percent) and Southside (40.5 percent).

Here is the complete listing of the self-response rates of cities and townships in Wright County.

Note: The numbers following the city/township are the response rates through the period ending June 29, 2020, followed by the total self-response rate from that city or township during the 2010 Census.

City/Township – 2020 to date/2010 total

CITIES

Albertville – 77.7 percent/79.0 percent

Annandale – 68.4 percent/75.5 percent

Buffalo – 80.9 percent/78.5 percent

Clearwater – 76.8 percent/73.2 percent

Cokato – 70.6 percent/78.3 percent

Dayton – 77.1 percent/82.7 percent

Delano – 83.2 percent/84.0 percent

Hanover – 85.6 percent/83.3 percent

Howard Lake – 46.7 percent/74.8 percent

Maple Lake – 75.9 percent/74.8 percent

Monticello – 73.7 percent/77.4 percent

Montrose – 72.4 percent/74.5 percent

Otsego – 75.7 percent/77.6 percent

Rockford – 77.6 percent/79.1 percent

South Haven 69.3 percent/86.7 percent

St. Michael – 82.8 percent/82.0 percent

Waverly – 58.4 percent/72.5 percent

TOWNSHIPS

Albion – 71.4 percent/74.8 percent

Buffalo – 84.9 percent/85.9 percent

Chatham – 84.8 percent/86.7 percent

Clearwater – 66.5 percent/66.5 percent

Cokato – 73.3 percent/80.4 percent

Corinna – 49.7 percent/50.8 percent

Franklin – 84.1 percent/86.8 percent

French Lake – 52.3 percent/56.4 percent

Maple Lake – 67.9 percent/71.4 percent

Marysville – 79.4 percent/77.2 percent

Middleville – 76.8 percent/84.2 percent

Monticello – 83.6 percent/86.0 percent

Rockford – 84.5 percent/84.7 percent

Silver Creek – 75.6 percent/76.8 percent

Southside – 40.5 percent/45.9 percent

Stockholm – 72.2 percent/74.4 percent

Victor – 70.2 percent/78.0 percent

Woodland – 77.3 percent/84.5 percent