1

The American Community

Survey

HSUG-West ConferenceOctober 1, 2004

Berkeley, CA

2

What is the American Community Survey?

• A large, continuous demographic survey• Annual estimates on detailed social,

economic, and housing characteristics• Produces more timely information for

small areas• Will replace census long-form in 2010

3

Background

• Concerns with outdated data• Began testing in 1996• Large-scale testing from 1999 to present• Full Implementation in 2005 pending

congressional funding

4

ACS-to-Census Comparison

• 20 million long-form households• 250,000 households a month in ACS• 3 million households a year• Households contacted once every 5 years

at most

5

How ACS Data is Collected

• Three methods of data collection:– Mail– Telephone (CATI)– Personal Interview (CAPI)

• All data collection completed with trained permanent staff

6

Master Address File (MAF)

• Sample cases selected from an updated Census 2000 Master Address File (MAF)

• Continual update through the use of– Delivery Sequence File from USPS– Community Address Updating System

7

Full Implementation 2005• Implement an annual national sample of 3

million addresses• Provide profiles every year for

communities of 65,000 or more• Provide 3- and 5-year accumulations for

communities of less than 65,000 population

8

Group Quarters

• Start delayed until January 2006• Includes all types of GQs except street

homeless, ships at sea, domestic violence shelters, and natural disaster shelters

• First tested in the ACS in 1999 and 2001

9

Annual and Multi-Year Estimates

t = Data reflect American Community Survey testing through 2004

• By 2010, long-form data will be available annually down to the Census Block Group.

10

ACS Content• Similar to the long-form, ACS will provide

information on:– Families, children, the elderly– Income, poverty– Educational attainment, school enrollment– Work, unemployment– Disability– Immigration, language ability– Housing– And more

11

Housing Data Included

• 25 Housing variables included in ACS (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/SQuest/fact.htm)

12

Current ACS Data Products• Base Tables (American FactFinder)

– More than 800 tables similar in content to Census 2000 SF3

• Tabular Profiles– Single-year and change profiles

• General Demographics, Social Characteristics, Economic Characteristics, Housing Characteristics

• Narrative Profiles• Geographic Ranking Tables

13

ACS PUMS Files• Allows the user to create their own cross-

tabulations using a 1% sample of the universe

• PUMS files produced for ACS sites in 1996-1998

• National PUMS files are available for 2000-2002– State is lowest geographic level available

• Beginning in 2006 PUMS files will be produced at– PUMA (~100,000 population) as lowest geographic level

14

Online Access

• Tabular and Narrative Profiles (1999-2003): http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

• American FactFinder (1996-2003): http://factfinder.census.gov/

15

Concerns About ACS

• Adequate funding year-to-year• Sufficient sample sizes• Accurate and up-to-date Master Address

File• Group Quarters population• Using averaged data for smaller

geographies

16

17

18

19

20

21