A gentle reminder for our readers: If you haven’t done so already, respond to the census form you receive in the mail.

The census, which is sent out every 10 years as required by law, counts every person in the nation. But more importantly, the accuracy of the head count in your community determines how resources are allocated.

The number of congressional seats representing your community is determined by the census, and data from the survey is taken into account when the federal government decides the amount of funding that’s given to states, cities and counties.

The amount of federal money spent on school upgrades, road repair, hospitals and maintaining public utilities is determined by the survey.

Census data can also help businesses to determine where to build factories, offices and stores and, in the process, create jobs.

In other words, the census plays a large role in determining whether your community receives its fair share of federal funding for a number of important projects.

And everyone in your community plays a role as to whether census data is reflected accurately.

We’re pleased to say that Butler County residents deserve credit for their participation in the 2020 Census thus far.

The county’s self-response rate in 2010 was 73.8 percent. So far this year, its rate is already 68.5 percent. As a point of comparison, Pennsylvania’s rate so far is 61 percent.

Considering all that’s going on with the coronavirus, it’s impressive that Butler County is only 5 percent away from the county’s total self-response rate 10 years ago. Let’s see if we can beat 2010’s rate.

Responding to the census not only determines allocations for your community, but it also helps your local census worker, who is working hard to track down information on everyone in your community at a time when staying away from others is highly encouraged.

Currently, the census bureau is initiating update leave, a phase during which questionnaires will be delivered in the coming weeks to more than 2,500 households in Butler County that don’t have mail sent to their address or where delivery information can’t be verified.

The self-response deadline for county residents is Oct. 31. The census bureau encourages residents to respond to the 2020 survey through the mail, by phone or online.

We hope Butler County continues to heed the call.