The 2010 Census numbers are in, and the news could be better for Jenkins County. Over one-third of the county’s residents have not yet returned their 2010 Census forms.

A reported released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week listed the county’s participation rate at 64 percent. However, this was an increase over the 2000 Census participation rate of only 57 percent for Jenkins County.

The participation rate of surrounding counties was listed as follows: Bulloch, 66 percent; Burke, 70 percent; Emanuel, 62 percent; and Screven, 66 percent.

The state’s participation rate was listed at 70 percent. The national rate of 72 percent participation matched the national rate of the 2000 Census.

“This is a significant achievement; the nation has stepped up to the challenge of participating in this once-a-decade civic event,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves in a recent press release. “We knew the job would be more difficult in 2010 than in 2000, yet the nation responded tremendously.”

Twenty-eight states, including Georgia, met or exceeded their 2000 Census rates, and 11 more were within one point of matching their rates, according to the report.

The final count, however, will not be in for awhile. On May 1, about 635,000 temporary census takers began conducting personal interviews with approximately 48 million households across the nation that did not return a completed census form by mail or who did not receive a form at their home.

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States, and it is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Data gathered from the census are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide.