GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Pandemic or not, the U.S. Census Bureau is forging ahead with its 2020 count — and Wisconsin is doing well in responding.

The state has a 55 percent return rate, that’s second in the nation just behind Minnesota’s 58 percent rate. It’s not the first time Wisconsin has been at the head of the nation for collecting census data.

“In 2010, Wisconsin ranked number one in the country in the census in terms of response,” said Jerry Iverson, chair of the Outagamie County Census Complete Count Committee. “We have as a state been very interested in our civic and legal duty to respond to the census. It’s not surprising that we have six counties in Wisconsin — out of 3,100 counties in the country — that are ranked in the top 20.”

That includes Washington, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Eau Claire, Calumet and Outagaime counties.

The census is an important tool to determine governmental representation, voting districts and how — and where — billions of dollars of federal money are distributed.

Self-reporting through mail, phone and the web is the first stage of data collection. In the second, census employees go door to door to households uncounted in the first round. That usually occurs in late spring, but due to the pandemic, will likely be delayed this year.

“We have heard from the White House and President Trump that we may be looking at a delay of 120 days,” Iverson said. “We are still be asking people to respond digitally, by phone or by mail over the next few months. Then the people will be sent out to knock on doors.”

Highlighting how census data matters, Iverson says it will likely be used to help distribute COVID-19 recovery aid.

The census form has 10 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. People who didn’t receive a form can complete one by going to www.my2020census.gov or by calling 844-330-2020.​