Census2010presentation

Lynda Kellam IASSIST Annual Conference June 4, 2010 Census 2010 & the American Community Survey

Census History Census of the population every 10 years Mandated by the Constitution Article 1, Section 2 : “Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, … The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct.” First census in 1790

Bit more history… Variation in questions over time Slavery: up to 1860 Feeble-minded: 1840-1890 Income: first in 1940 Female veterans status: first in 1980 Multiple races and grandparents as caregivers: added in 2000 1960: enumeration divided in two; short form (count every person) and long form (gather detailed information)

The Basics from Census 2000 Short Form Survey of 100% of the population Questions about the basic demographic characteristics age, race, number of people in a housing unit Long Form Sample of one in six housing units (approximately 17% sample) Basic demographic questions PLUS questions about socioeconomic topics education, income, housing characteristics, employment, and disability status

The Basics from Census 2010 Short Form Continue constitutionally mandated short form counting 100% of the population Long Form (B-Bye!) Replaced by the American Community Survey (ACS)

American Community Survey A nationwide, continuous monthly survey Samples 3 million addresses per year or 250,000 addresses each month. Fully implemented in 2005 Data will be released annually for communities of 65,000 or more people Profiles available in 3 or 5 year estimates for communities with fewer than 65,000 people

ACS Releases Dates & Coverage Data Product Population Threshold Year of Data Release 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Year(s) of Data Collection 1-year Estimates 65,000 + 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 3-year Estimates 20,000 + 2005-2007 2006-2008 2007-2009 2008-2010 5-year Estimates All Areas 2005-2009 2006-2010

Availability for particular places Reidsville, NC has 14,485 (Census 2000) 5 year estimate (2005-2009) available in December 2010 Burlington, NC has 49,038 (ACS 2006-2008) Two 3 year estimates (05-07 & 06-08) are available now. The 5 year estimate will be available in December 2010. Greensboro, NC has 242,817 (ACS 2006-2008) Any 1 year estimate, 3 year estimate and the 5 year estimate could be used for Greensboro.

Benefits of the ACS Provides timely socioeconomic data between the decennial censuses Provides ability to monitor trends in local communities between censuses Has permanent, professional interviewers who are more successful at increasing the response rate

Just remember… Best to compare similar estimates: Example: Compare Burlington’s 3 year estimates to Greensboro’s 3 year estimates Be careful about comparing same area over time: Do not compare overlapping estimates (e.g., 2005-2007 & 2006-2008) Do compare 2005-2007 & 2008-2010 Which estimate you choose can change the story! Compass Handbooks

Point in time versus Period data Census count is point in time—April 1 ACS is period data Data collected almost daily Information is anchored to day on which sample housing unit was interviewed. So, “last 12 months” depends on when the interview occurs. Be aware of this issue when comparing employment, income, and student enrollment.

Margins of Error Census Bureau claims a confidence interval of 90% Albany County 258, 649 +/-2,191 We are 90% confident that the true numbers is between 256,458 and 260,840. There is a 10% probability that the estimate would be outside this range. Problems though… Example: Estimate of number of Nicaraguans in Guilford County = 177 +/- 179 We are 90% confident that the true number is between -2 and 356. (Oh boy!)

College education is relatively high compared to national percentage. Most mortgages range between $1K - $1,5K per month Most of the civilian employed population works in the educational services, and health care and social assistance industries. Thanks! Lynda M. Kellam [email_address] Twitter: @lyndamk http://lyndamk.com/

References Herman, E. (2008). The American Community Survey: An introduction to the basics. Government Information Quarterly 25 , 504-519. Mather, M., Rivers, K. L., & Jacobsen, L.A. (2005). The American Community Survey. Population Bulletin, 60(3), 3-20. North Carolina Office of State Budget & Management. (2008). NC SDC 2008 Annual Meeting Materials . Retrieved January 27, 2009 from http://www.osbm.state.nc.us/ncosbm/facts_and_figures/state_data_center/AnnualMeetings/ North Carolina Office of State Budget & Management. (2008). North Carolina is counting on you! Retrieved January 27, 2009 from http://www.osbm.state.nc.us/ncosbm/facts_and_figures/census/nc2010/ Taeuber, C. M. (2006). American Community Survey for Community Planning . Oxford: Trafford Publishing. U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2008). A compass for understanding and using American Community Survey Data What general data users need to know. Retrieved December 1, 2009 from http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/ACSGeneralHandbook.pdf

Census2010presentation

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Census2010presentation