The U.S. Census Bureau is anxious for you to know that a story on page 4 of Wednesday’s edition of the Chesterton Tribune—based on information provided by the office of U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st—was not entirely accurate.

In that story Visclosky’s office urged folks to return their 2010 census forms by today—the deadline—and noted that Porter County’s mail participation rate was currently at 76 percent, compared to its overall rate of 81 percent in 2000; and that Lake County’s mail participation rate was at 69 percent, compared to its overall rate of 76 percent in 2000.

In fact, Jim Accurso of the Census Bureau told the Tribune today, the 2000 rates referenced by Visclosky’s office are the mail participation rates, not the overall rates.

Accurso added that if folks do get their census forms mailed today, they will not be getting a call or a knock on the door from census takers.

Dunelanders interested in their community’s mail participation rates can find real-time data—changed at 4 p.m. daily—at www.2010.census.gov

That website provides a wide variety of information on the census, including county data and census tract data along with municipal data.

Posted 4/16/2010