Kerry Dineen, Altamont mayor; Joe Burke, Altamont Free Library; Jim Gaughan

Mark Grimm, Albany County Legislator, Guilderland

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the United States Census Bureau halted hand-deliveries of census questionnaires to certain households, which has created a low self-response rate in the rural Hilltowns, where these hand-deliveries are more common. 

The census bureau updates participation numbers regularly on its website and encourages communities to challenge each other. Albany County’s rate was 44.6 percent. Here are the self-response rates for the towns covered by The Enterprise, with the highest scores listed first: Guilderland is at 52.5 percent, New Scotland is at 50.9 percent, Knox is at 45.7 percent, Westerlo is at 36.3 percent, Berne is at 31.0 percent, and Rensselaerville is at 26.3 percent.