Christina Van Otterloo/KJZZ

Census information sheets.

As of Friday, 61% of Arizonans have responded to the U.S. census. The state ranks below the national average of 65% and that means potentially leaving funding and services on the table.

Census data informs how billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed for health clinics, school lunch programs and other critical programs and services for the next 10 years. State officials estimate Arizona will lose about $3,000 a year for every resident not counted, and that a 1% under count could cost the state $600 million over the next decade.

So far, Maricopa County is on par with the national response rate, as is Pima County.

Lagging far behind is the Navajo Nation which has a response rate of just 18.2%. It along with the Gila River Indian Community and others filed a lawsuit last week over the federal government ending the count early.

The 2020 census will conclude data collection at the end of this month.