Beginning today, homes around the country will start receiving official mail from the U.S. Census Bureau with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census, either online, by phone or by mail.

Gloucester County’s Complete Count Committee is encouraging all residents to respond to the census mailings to exceed the county’s 83 percent response rate that was seen during the 2010 Census.

According to Gloria Williams, representative of Gloucester’s CCC, being counted in the census will directly impact the locality through the amount of federal dollars being allocated to the community. This means money for infrastructure improvements, programs that assist those in need, and more.

Williams said it is also important to remember that every person who does not fill out a census form means a loss of almost $2,000 per person per year. This equates to a total of nearly $20,000 per person who does not fill out the census over the 10-year period that lapses in between being coun...