Census returns low in some Washington counties

SEATTLE — Statewide, 52 percent of Washington state households have mailed back their 2010 census forms.

But some remote counties have a much lower rate. In the islands of San Juan County, only 36 percent had mailed their forms in by Thursday, The Seattle Times reports.

County administrative assistant Debbie Emery says part of the problem is that many island residents have post-office boxes, and the Census Bureau doesn’t mail forms to such addresses.

The census bureau says Columbia County in the southeast corner of the state has the highest response rate at 61 percent.

Information from: The Seattle Times, www.seattletimes.com