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Park City census response rate tallied at a dismal 25.4%

United States Census.
Courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau

There are numerous Parkites yet to be counted this year.

Just one in four households in Park City have responded to the census on their own, according to numbers compiled by the County Courthouse. It is a dismal rate of response when taken against other places in Summit County.

The County Courthouse has published numbers based on the response rate that was tallied on Sept. 22 showing the rate at that time was 25.4% in Park City. The response rate in Park City was significantly lower than any other municipality in Summit County.



The others:

• Francis, at 71.5%



• Henefer, at 68.7%

• Kamas, at 57.8%

• Coalville, at 55.6%

• Oakley, at 48.2%

The countywide rate, including the population center of the Snyderville Basin, was 40.6%

Still, the Park City numbers show an improvement over those from the census a decade ago. The County Courthouse numbers show the final 2010 percentage of people inside Park City who responded on their own was 13.2%, meaning the rate through Sept. 22 of this year was nearly double the final rate from a decade ago.

The numbers also indicate the Park City response rate is trailing those in some of the other mountain communities in the West. Places like the Colorado communities of Aspen, Crested Butte and Telluride as well as Ketchum, Idaho, and Jackson, Wyoming, are beating Park City, according to the County Courthouse data. The Park City response rate, though, is beating places like Vail and Breckenridge, both in Colorado.

In a Monday social media posting, Summit County noted the numbers in the Park City area.

“Hey Park City, what gives? The 84098 and 84060 zip codes are really hurting for 2020 Census participation,” the Monday posting said, putting a sad emoji on the Park City bar in a bar graph.

The posting added that someone would spend “less time than it takes to catch up on the latest Nextdoor gossip” to fill out a census form online. It also provides a link to the census, my2020census.gov.

The census is a critical process with broad influence on the coming decade with the numbers used in wide-ranging ways. One of they key roles of the numbers involves political redistricting. Statehouse leaders will use the numbers as they redraw state House of Representatives and state Senate boundaries.

There is intense political interest in the redistricting process as Republicans and Democrats craft ideas for the new maps. In the Park City area, the redistricting of the state House of Representatives will likely be of particular interest as the Democrats attempt to capture a long-coveted seat in the Wasatch Back.

The census numbers are also used in funding formulas.

The Summit County economic development and housing director, Jeff Jones, is leading the census efforts, saying in an interview resort towns tend to have lower participation. He said the mobility of residents in resort towns could be one of the causes.

“Their response rates are not as high as other communities, for whatever reason,” he said.


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