In a new report issued this week, demographer Bill O�Hare says �little has been written about the special challenges that will make some rural areas and populations difficult to enumerate accurately.�
Dr. O�Hare�s report notes five particular regions or populations in rural America that will be particularly hard to count in the 2020 Census:
- Blacks in the South
- Hispanics in the rural Southwest
- American Indians living on reservations and Alaska Natives
- Residents of deep Appalachia
- Migrant and seasonal farmworkers
O�Hare�s report says a majority of Hard-To-Count (HTC) counties (79 percent) in the U.S. are rural areas. Overall, 16 percent of all the most rural counties fall into the HTC category.
�The heavy reliance on the internet in the 2020 Census may pose a special concern for rural residents,� O�Hare concludes. �Data show that good internet access is less likely to be available in rural areas and a test (in West Virginia) that might reveal difficulties has recently been cancelled.�
New Report on 2020 Census/Rural America
In a new report issued this week, demographer Bill O�Hare says �little has been written about the special challenges that will make some rural areas and populations difficult to enumerate accurately.�
Dr. O�Hare�s report notes five particular regions or populations in rural America that will be particularly hard to count in the 2020 Census:
- Blacks in the South
- Hispanics in the rural Southwest
- American Indians living on reservations and Alaska Natives
- Residents of deep Appalachia
- Migrant and seasonal farmworkers
O�Hare�s report says a majority of Hard-To-Count (HTC) counties (79 percent) in the U.S. are rural areas. Overall, 16 percent of all the most rural counties fall into the HTC category.
�The heavy reliance on the internet in the 2020 Census may pose a special concern for rural residents,� O�Hare concludes. �Data show that good internet access is less likely to be available in rural areas and a test (in West Virginia) that might reveal difficulties has recently been cancelled.�
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