Census: Low response rates from Ohio big cities

CLEVELAND (AP) — The U.S. Census says forms are being mailed back from Ohio’s three largest cities at rates that are among the lowest in the country.

Census officials said today that only 32 percent of Cleveland households have filled out and sent back the forms. Columbus and Cincinnati each have participation rates of 39 percent.

Statewide, 51 percent of households have returned the forms, slightly above the national rate of 50 percent.

The 10-question census forms were mailed to 120 million U.S. households two weeks ago asking Americans to fill out their usual place of residence as of Thursday.

The Census Bureau will continue to accept mailed-in forms through most of April and will then send census-takers to each home that doesn’t reply by mail.