Households that haven’t responded to the 2020 census online should expect to receive a reminder letter accompanied by a paper questionnaire within the next week.

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said Massachusetts currently ranks 13th in the nation in online responses, with nearly 45% of households submitting their forms to the census website.

Galvin said he was received assurances from the U.S. Census Bureau that paper questionnaires will be mailed out from April 8-16 to those households which have not already responded.

Residents who do not receive mail at their homes will be receiving paper forms later, once hand-delivery of those forms — which is currently suspended — has been resumed by the U.S. Census Bureau.


Galvin said every person who responds to the census now is helping reduce the need for census workers to go door-to-door. He said everyone is trying to limit that kind of contact as the country battles the spread of the coronavirus.

Galvin has said believes the state’s population is about 6.9 million.