2020 Census update: Coachella Valley cities show low participation

Three with flags, each showing the word "Census" in red letters, across a blue sky with clouds

July 15, 2020 - District Staff

As of Monday, July 13, the percentage of Coachella Valley residents who completed the self-response component of the 2020 Census was low. Depending on where residents live, it ranged from 10.4 percent (census tract 456.17 in Oasis) to 56.2 percent (Cathedral City).

An objective of the census is to count every resident in the U.S. Because being counted can vastly improve a community's chance of receiving federal funding resources and opportunities, from creating jobs to identifying the need for residential development, participation is encouraged. The deadline to complete the 2020 census is Oct. 31. Residents can do so online at https://my2020census.gov.

Efforts are underway in the Coachella Valley to raise awareness of the census and the importance of completing the brief questionnaire. The lead agency in these efforts is Alianza Coachella Valley. One such effort has been to take the message to farming communities in the eastern valley courtesy of a Census caravan, which also provides information and materials on keeping safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below is a look at the participation rate and state ranking of Coachella Valley communities and surrounding areas:

Cathedral Ctiy: 56.2%, 404

Coachella: 52.3%, 436

Desert Hot Springs: 54.7%, 425

Indian Wells: 43.7%, 462

Indio: 48.7%, 453

La Quinta: 49.6%, 452

Palm Desert: 52.2%, 437

Palm Springs: 50.7%, 447

Rancho Mirage: 51.1%, 444

Twentynine Palms: 51.7%, 442

Census Tract 456.15 -- Thermal, Vista Santa Rose -- 37.5%

Census Tract 456.16 -- Coachella, Thermal -- 25.9%

Tract 456.17 -- Thermal, Vista Santa Rosa, mostly La Quinta -- 55%

Tract 456.18 -- Oasis -- 10.4%

Tract 456.19 -- Vista Santa Rosa, Torres-Martinez Tribal Lands -- 20.2%

Tract 456.10 -- Mecca (desert sprawl) -- 24.8%

Tract 456.11 -- Mecca (main city) -- 47.4%

Tract 456.12 -- Mecca, North Shore -- 34.1%

Tract 124 -- Bombay Beach, Glamis, Obregon -- 11.7%

Tract 444.03 -- East of Valerie -- 24.9%

Tract 123.02 -- Salton City, Desert Shores -- 37.6%

Tract 123.01 -- Coolidge Springs, Coyote Wells, Desert Center -- 21.8%

If you haven't already done so, please complete the census at https://my2020census.gov.