41st Ward ranks second in census responses

by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI

It’s the Far Northwest Side vs. parts of the Southwest Side when it comes to which ward is leading in the number of households completing the 2020 census based on response goals, according to city census data.

Each ward has different target response goals, some higher and some lower compared to other wards, and the ranking is based on those figures. Wards which are closer to their target goal percentages are ranked higher than wards which may have more responding households, according to the office of Alderman Matt O’Shea (19^th).

As of May 11, the 41st Ward is ranked second out of 50 wards in terms of households completing the census, with 16,278 out of 24,275 households responding, according to data. The ward response rate is 67.7 percent with an 81 percent response goal.

The number one ranked ward is the 18th Ward, according to city data, with 11,847 out of 18,597 households responding. The ward covers Ashburn and parts of Marquette Park and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods. The ward response rate is 63 percent with a 73.9 percent response goal, the data shows.

”I know it’s not a competition but we are treating it like a competition. We’re in second place here (in the 41st) and I’d like to be number one of course,” Alderman Anthony Napolitano (41st) said.

“It is your civic duty because that’s how funding is generated for each state so it’s important,” Napolitano said.

According to published reports, more than $1.5 trillion in federal funding to state and local governments is given out based on census data. The data collected from the census is used to ensure equal political representation and allocation of government resources when maps are redrawn every decade, according to the city census Web site.

”If (the ranking) creates banter between wards and gets people to fill it out I’m all for it. I came in under the 10-minute mark when it came to filling it out,” the alderman said.

The third ranked ward, according to data, is the 19th Ward, also on the Southwest Side, with 13,967 out of 20,579 households responding. The ward response rate is 68 percent with an 81.7 percent response goal, the data shows.

Napolitano said that he thought the 19^th Ward came in at number one because it appears that the most households are responding there, with 68 percent vs. 67.7 for his ward.

The ward that ranks 50 out of 50 is the 15th Ward, with 4,643 out of 13,854 households responding, according to data. The ward response rate is 33.6 percent with a 65 percent response goal. The census will be taken through the summer.

The city’s response rate is 51.8 percent, with a 75 percent response goal.

On the Northwest Side, the 38th Ward ranked fourth, with 13,999 out of 22,171 households responding as of May 11. The ward response rate is 63.1 percent with a 79 percent response goal.

The 45th Ward came in seventh, with 14,304 out of 23,059 households responding. The ward response rate is 61.7 percent with a 78.9 percent response goal.  

The 39th Ward ranked 12th, with 13,573 out of 22,385 households responding, the data shows. The ward response rate is 60.7 percent with a 79.8 percent response goal.

Alderman Samantha Nugent (39^th) said in her ward newsletter that it is her goal to have the highest response rate as well.

“If you have already completed the 2020 Census, thank you, and please encourage your family and friends to do the same. It is quick and easy! To complete the census, visit my2020census.gov or call 844.330.2020,” Nugent said.

The 33rd Ward ranked 22^nd, with 11,561 out of 21,888 households responding. The ward response rate is 52.8 percent with a 75 percent response goal.

The 36th Ward ranked 24th, with 8,427 out of 17,221 households responding. The ward response rate is 49.2 percent with a 72.4 percent goal, the data shows.

To see the data, visit chicago.gov/city/en/sites/census2020/home/ward-reports.html.