![Overview to the American Community Survey EJ Mapping Task Force – April 8, 2010 Bob Scardamalia Empire State Development [email_address] 518-292-5309](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ejmappingtaskforce-120115190231-phpapp02/85/Ej-mapping-taskforce-1-320.jpg)
Ej mapping taskforce
- 1. Overview to the American Community Survey EJ Mapping Task Force – April 8, 2010 Bob Scardamalia Empire State Development [email_address] 518-292-5309
- 2. What is the American Community Survey? A large, continuous demographic survey 250,000 Households nationwide – every month The HU address is the sample unit – not people Produces annual and multi-year estimates of the characteristics of the population and housing Decennial Long Form content with conceptual differences Census views it as producing characteristics, NOT counts Produces information for small areas including tracts, block groups and population subgroups
- 3. Data Collection Timing Total January Interviews
- 4. ACS Data Product Release Schedule Data products are released in the year following the single-year or the last year of the multi-year period in which data are collected.
- 5. American Community Survey: Data Products Detailed Tables (Summary File 1 & 3) Tabular Profiles Narrative Profiles Ranking Tables Geographic Comparison Tables Thematic Maps Selected Population Profiles (characteristic based) Summary File type data products Public Use Microdata Files (PUMS)
- 6. Switching from Census to ACS Mentality The Census and the ACS are different collection instruments Reference Period The Census was a point in time estimate (4-1-10); the ACS accumulates 12 months of surveys for a calendar year estimate CAN NOT think of annual ACS estimates as centered within a specific period (annual, 3-year, 5-year) Not all data is from that calendar year though -- many questions ask “In the last 12 months…” Sample Size Less than Decennial Long Form Declining over time as nation grows
- 8. Switching from Census to ACS Mentality Some Conceptual Differences Residency Rules Decennial Census - “Usual Place of Residence” ACS - resident of area if staying there 2+ months when contacted; affects seasonal areas, students Sample weighting Census – small sample weighting areas ACS – county population estimates Data Allocation Census – high rates ACS – better, trained interviewers Migration/Change of Residence Census: 5 years ago ACS: 1 year ago
- 9. Switching from Census to ACS Mentality Period rather than point estimates Fire hose of data every year Multiple numbers for the same area 2010 release for areas of 65,000 or more 1-year estimate (2009 collection) 3-year estimate (2007-2009 collection) 5-year estimate (2005-2009 collection) Areas of 20,000 to 65,000 3-year estimate (2007-2009 collection) 5-year estimate (2005-2009 collection) Areas under 20,000 5-year estimate ONLY (2005-2009)
Editor's Notes
- #2: The ACS Data User Training Guide is designed as a resource to train data users. Data users vary in how much they know about the ACS. Some are very familiar with the survey. Others have never heard of the ACS. This overview is for those data users who know little or nothing about the ACS, its purpose, and the history of its development.
- #3: The American Community Survey (ACS) is a large, continuous demographic survey. The ACS is the largest survey ever undertaken by the Census Bureau except for the decennial census sample data collection. The ACS produces annual and multi-year estimates of the characteristics of the population and housing of communities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. These characteristics include demographic, social, and economic information about individuals and households; also, they include physical and financial characteristics of housing units where these households live. The ACS does not provide official population counts. That information is collected once every ten years by the decennial census short form; the counts are updated every year by the Census Bureau’s intercensal estimates program. The ACS produces information for small areas and population subgroups. The ACS updates this information every year, not once every ten years as had been the case with the decennial census sample data collected in previous decades. The Census Bureau keeps information about individual people and households strictly confidential; the Census Bureau only releases data for statistical aggregates (geographic areas and population categories). The ACS is part of the Census Bureau’s plan for reengineering the decennial census. Part of that plan involves collecting detailed information on the characteristics of population and housing on an on-going basis rather than collecting these sample data only in census years in conjunction with the decennial census. Other parts of the reengineering plan involve improving the master address file and geographic data base (MAF-TIGER) and improving early planning for the 2010 census.
- #5: This slide shows the ACS data product release schedule that will be familiar to many ACS data users. Here are some important things data users should learn from this slide: One-year period estimates will be released during the year after which the data were collected. For example, 2005 ACS data will be released during 2006. One-year period estimates will be released every year for geographic areas with populations of 65,000 or more. Three-year period estimates will be released every year for geographic areas of 20,000 or more. This includes geographic areas with populations of 65,000 or more . The first year when three-year period estimates will be released is 2008. Three-year period estimates will be released for geographic areas of 20,000 or more every year thereafter. Five-year period estimates will be released every year for geographic areas of all population sizes. The first year when five-year period estimates will be released is 2010. Five-year period estimates will be released for geographic areas of all sizes every year thereafter. For geographic areas with populations of 65,000 or more: one-year, three-year, and five-year data products will be released in 2010 and every year thereafter.
- #6: Most of the demographic and social data products are similar to ACS data products released in the past. They differ in their coverage of topics. They will include only demographic and social data. For example, the demographic and social tabular profiles will correspond to the first two of the four tabular profiles released in the past. The geographic comparison tables are a new data product. They will be very similar to the Census 2000 geographic comparison tables. The next slide shows an example of a geographic comparison table from Census 2000.
- #10: amounts are brought current, not deflated