Oregon Public Broadcasting

Most people in the Northwest have returned their census forms.  If you didn't, you can expect a knock at the door from a census taker soon. Tom Banse reports.

This Saturday, temporary workers hired by the Census Bureau will begin knocking on the doors of people who didn't mail back their 2010 Census form.

The government has hired nearly 11,000 census takers in Washington State and nearly that many again for Idaho and Oregon.

Census director Robert Groves says the in-person visitor won't ask to come in and won't take long.

Robert Groves: “For those of you who haven't been counted in the 2010 Census, this is your moment. When someone knocks on your door, we ask that you open your door and answer the same questions that are on the census form that may be sitting in your house.”

In the Northwest, the lowest census mail-back rates were in rural or resort areas.

Northwest-wide, nearly three quarters of households returned their surveys. That's roughly equal to the 2000 Census return rate.

Online: Interactive map of U.S. Census response rates