State officials reminded residents this week to respond to the 2020 Census as soon as possible — and we hope any holdouts will take heed.

The good news is that Butler County can’t be counted among the slackers in regard to responding to the census. We’re pleased to report that the county was among 10 in the state that so far have a response rate over 70 percent.

By comparison, the national response rate is only 62.1 percent — and Pennsylvania beats that average by 3.1 percent. Also, Butler County’s response rate in 2010 was 73.8 percent, so we’re already close to beating that average — and, impressively, during a pandemic.

So, hats off to everyone who has done their civic duty so far. For those who haven’t, get cracking.

The census — which is sent out every 10 years — counts every person in the nation and, as a result, an accurate head count determines how resources are allocated in every community across the United States.

By responding to the census, residents are ensuring that their community gets its fair share.

The census is what decides how many congressional seats represent your community, and data from the survey is used to determine how much funding is given to states, cities and counties.

That funding goes toward everything from school upgrades and road repairs to hospitals and maintaining public utilities. It also helps to ascertain where factories, offices and stores are built, which in turn create new jobs.

Billions of dollars spent over the next decade will be dictated by how many people take the time to fill out and return their census forms in 2020.

Those hesitant, for whatever reason, have no need for concern. The questionnaire is confidential, and only includes questions about one’s name, address, sex, race, ethnicity, age and homeowner status.

There are no questions regarding citizenship status, Social Security numbers, bank accounts or political parties.

Due to COVID-19, the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development announced earlier this summer that the due date to return the census was pushed back to Oct. 31.

In other words, there’s still some time to respond to the survey. Participants can respond by phone, through the mail or online.

But don’t delay. Vital services that can help you, your family and your neighbors will be determined by the accuracy of the count in your community.