To reduce the estimated $2.7 billion cost of following up with households that fail to mail back their 2010 Census questionnaires, the U.S. Census Bureau has begun mailing second forms to approximately 40 million housing units in areas that had below-average response rates in the 2000 Census.

“Census Bureau and a multitude of private sector research shows that sending a replacement questionnaire to households can significantly increase response rates in the end,” Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said. “We estimate that the second mailing could increase America’s mail participation rate in the 2010 Census by 7 to 10 percentage points, and doing so would save taxpayers more than $500 million.”

According to the Census Bureau, every percentage point increase in the national participation rate by mail saves about $85 million. It costs the government just 42 cents in a postage paid envelope to get a questionnaire back in the mail, but it costs taxpayers an average of $57 to count a household that fails to mail it back.

Second questionnaires were mailed last week to every housing unit in areas that had a mail response rate of 59 percent or less in 2000, or about 24.7 million households. The questionnaires were sent to all households, regardless of whether they had already returned their 2010 Census form.

In areas that had response rates between 59 and 67 percent — below the national average of 67 percent — replacement forms will be sent only to households that have not yet mailed back their completed 2010 Census form. These 15 million households will receive a second form April 6-10.

Households have until mid-April to mail back their forms before census takers begin going door to door to residences that failed to respond.

“We understand that people lead busy lives and may not have gotten around to sending back their forms yet,” Groves said. “The replacement form gives them a second chance to get counted and help ensure that their community gets its fair share of political representation and federal funds over the next 10 years.”

Currently, the national mail participation rate is 60 percent, with some of the lowest rates in Alaska, California, Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.  As of Tuesday, Brown County is sitting at a 61% participation rate.  See our homepage for daily updates on the 2010 Census participation rates.