Georgia has matched its mail participation rate from the 2000 Census, Census officials said Wednesday.

Georgia’s mail back rate of the Census forms stands at 69 percent, making the state one of 19, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., to meet or surpass their rates from 10 years ago.

Effingham County’s mail participation rate is 76 percent, the highest in a 10-county area. Bryan County is second at 75 percent.

For the 2000 Census, Effingham’s mail back rate was 67 percent, and this year’s goal was 72 percent.

Glynn County has a 71 percent mail back rate, while Liberty County’s rate is at 70 percent. Chatham County is at 69 percent, Toombs is at 67 percent, Evans is at 51 percent, Tattnall is at 48 percent, McIntosh is at 40 percent and Long is at 39 percent.

A final mail participation rate will be calculated and announced next week.

Census takers will make home visits beginning May 1. Census takers will not enter someone’s home unless asked to do so and their hours of operation will be from around 4:30-8:30 p.m.

Census workers who will make home visits in Effingham will be Effingham residents. There will be about 250 Census workers in the county and about 1,000 in the 10-county area.