Interactive census map highlights hard to count neighborhoods

Community members, elected officials and local organizations gathered in January to kick off the NYC Census 2020 Complete Count Campaign. Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

By Rachel Vick

An online mapping tool unveiled Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau displays the response rate in every census tract in the country in order to highlight major gaps in completion. Soon, the “Hard to Count” map will include the most current statistics for the 2020 Census. 

The color-coded “Hard to Count” maps break down the 2010 census response rates by tract, state or legislative district. Chunks of Southeast and Western Queens glow various shades of orange, indicating a significant number of tracts with response rates below 62 percent.

New York State’s overall response rate in 2010 was 64.6 percent, according to the Census Bureau.

Families and individuals can complete their self response censuses online, on the phone or through a mail-in form distributed by the bureau. People who don’t complete the Census this way can expect a knock on the door from a census-taker — a potentially risky proposition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hard-to-Count map will remain online through the summer and will updated regularly.