AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY SUPPORTING

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY

SUPPORTING OTHER DISCIPLINES • Review (by Nieuwenhuis, et al. ) of 513 neuroscience articles in five top-ranking journals (Science, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron and The Journal of Neuroscience) found: • More studies had used an incorrect statistical procedure than a correct procedure; • The classic error was misunderstanding of a P-value • NIH funds ~$5 billion in neuroscience research annually • Nieuwenhuis, et al. , “Erroneous analyses of interactions in neuroscience: a problem of significance”, Nature Neuroscience (2011). 2

OVERVIEW • What is the American Community Survey? • Content • Sample Design and Data Collection • Data Availability and Data Products • Resources for Learning More

WHAT IS THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY? A large, continuous survey that: • produces characteristics of population and housing (similar to Census 2000 long form) • produces estimates for small areas and small population groups • samples slightly > 3. 5 million resident addresses per year (about 290, 000 per month) 4

CENSUS 2000 In Census 2000, the census used 2 forms 1. “Short” form – asked for basic demographic and housing information, such as age, sex, race, how many people lived in the housing unit, and if the housing unit was owned or rented by the resident 2. “Long” form – collected the same information as the short form but also collected more in-depth information such as income, education, and language spoken at home Only a small portion of the population, called a sample, received the long form. 5

2010 CENSUS AND ACS • 2010 Census focused on counting the U. S. population • The “long” form data are now collected by the ACS • Puerto Rico is the only U. S. territory where the ACS is conducted • 2010 Census had a long form for U. S. territories such as Guam and U. S. Virgin Islands • 2010 Census had same “short form” questions as the ACS 6

ACS ESTIMATES ARE NOT THE 2010 CENSUS POPULATION COUNTS • The 2010 Census counts the population to support apportionment and redistricting • The ACS supplements this information with annually updated estimates on the nation’s population and housing characteristics • The purpose of the ACS is not to count every person in a community or town but rather, to provide a portrait of the community’s characteristics 7

OVERVIEW • What is the American Community Survey? • Content • Sample Design and Data Collection • Data Availability and Data Products • Resources for Learning More

ACS CONTENT: POPULATION • SOCIAL • • • • Ancestry Citizenship & Year of Entry Disability Status Educational Attainment Field of Degree Health Insurance Grandparents Fertility Language Marital Status & History Place of Birth Migration Relationship School Enrollment Veteran Status • ECONOMIC • Employment & Work Status • Income & Earnings • Industry & Occupation • Class of Worker • Commuting • Poverty Status • SNAP Receipt • DEMOGRAPHIC • Age & Sex • Race & Hispanic Origin 9

ACS CONTENT: HOUSING • • • Age of Householder House Heating Fuel Household Size Kitchen Facilities Occupancy and Vacancy Owner Statistics Plumbing Facilities Race of Householder Renter Statistics Rooms and Bedrooms Telephone Service Tenure • Units in Structure • Value of Home • Vehicles Available • Year Householder Moved Into Unit • Year Structure Built 10

CONTENT CHANGES • 2008: New/modified questions added for – Marital history – Health insurance coverage – Service connected disability status and rating – Disability • 2009: New question added for Bachelor’s field of degree • 2013: New questions added for – Computer ownership/internet access Updated in 2016 11

OVERVIEW • What is the American Community Survey? • Content • Sample Design and Data Collection • Data Availability and Data Products • Resources for Learning More

TARGET POPULATION • Resident population of the United States and Puerto Rico living in housing units and group quarters (GQ) • Housing units: house, apartment, mobile home or trailer, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied as separate living quarters • Group quarters: Place where people live or stay that is normally owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing or services for the residents. • Current residents at the selected address • “Two month” rule 13

DATA COLLECTION OPERATIONS Online Mail Telephone Personal Visit 14

PERIOD ESTIMATES • Describe the average characteristics over a specific period of time • Contrast with point-in-time estimates • Describe characteristics as of a specific date, such as April 1, 2010 • Period is 1 -year, 3 -year, or 5 -years data (combined for 12 months, 36 months, or 60 months) 15

OVERVIEW • What is the American Community Survey? • Content • Sample Design and Data Collection • Data Availability and Data Products • Resources for Learning More

SELECTED CENSUS GEOGRAPHIC* CONCEPTS Legal/Administrative Areas Statistical Areas • • • Regions Nation States Counties Incorporated Places Minor Civil Divisions Congressional Districts School Districts ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) • Divisions • Census County Divisions • Census Designated Places • Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) • Census Tracts • Block Groups *Geographies covered in more depth tomorrow 17

DATA PRODUCT RELEASE SCHEDULE The ACS annually releases: 1 -year estimates (2013) – Areas with populations of 65, 000+ • • The Nation Every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico Every Congressional District About 25 percent of all counties 3 -year estimates (2011 -2013) -- Ended – Areas with populations of 20, 000+ 5 -year estimates (2009 -2013) – All areas 18

DATA PRODUCTS ACS 1 -Year • • • Data Profile Narrative Profile Comparison Profile Selected Population Profile Ranking Tables Subject Tables Detailed Tables Geographic Comparison Tables Public Use Microdata Sample File ACS 3 -Year • Data Profile • Narrative Profile ACS 5 -Year • Data Profile • Selected Population Profile • Subject Tables • Detailed Tables • Geographic Comparison Tables • Public Use Microdata Sample File 19

WHO RELIES ON ACS DATA PRODUCTS? • Local governments – State and local leaders use ACS data to determine the needs of their communities, such as where to build new roads, schools, hospitals, offices, and community centers, or what schools need to plan for bilingual education. • Emergency planners – Emergency planners use ACS data for natural disaster planning and response. The number of households and relative economic vulnerability located in small areas inform the plans for moving large numbers of people and for providing efficient and appropriate responses. • Businesses – Companies use ACS data to make investment decisions in assessing such factors as the local labor force, new markets, and the needs of prospective customers. • Learn more – https: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs/ 20

OVERVIEW • What is the American Community Survey? • Content • Sample Design and Data Collection • Data Availability and Data Products • Resources for Learning More

RESOURCES FOR LEARNING MORE • ACS Main Page • new page: http: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs. html • Guidance on Comparing ACS Data to Other Sources • ACS Compass Products • Data & Documentation Page • Design & Methodology Report 22

ACS MAIN PAGE http: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs. html 23

COMPARISON GUIDANCE http: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs/guidance/comparing-acs-data. html 24

ACS COMPASS PRODUCTS • AIAN Data Users • Business Community • Congress • Federal Agencies • General Data Users • High School Teachers • Media • PUMS User • PRCS Data User • Researchers • Rural Area Data Users • State & Local Government http: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs/guidance/handbooks. html/ 25

DATA PAGE http: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs/data. html/ 26

DOCUMENTATION PAGE http: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation. html/ 27

DESIGN & METHODOLOGY REPORT • Important reference document covering methods used in producing ACS data http: //www. census. gov/programs-surveys/acs/methodology. html/ 28

GEOGRAPHIES 29

TYPES OF GEOGRAPHIC AREAS • Legal/administrative areas (e. g. , states) • have legally described boundaries; they may provide governmental services or may be used to administer programs • Statistical areas (e. g. , tracts, PUMAs) • defined primarily for data tabulation and presentation purposes 30

ACS GEOGRAPHY • Metropolitan Area (Baltimore) • Counties • Census Tracts http: //www. citylab. com/crime/2015/04/1968 -and-the-invention-ofthe-american-police-state/391955/ 31

CENSUS GEOGRAPHIC CONCEPTS LEGAL/ADMINISTRATIVE AND STATISTICAL AREAS Legal/Administrative Areas Statistical Areas Nation Regions States Divisions Counties Census County Divisions Minor Civil Divisions Census Designated Places Incorporated Places Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Congressional Districts Urban / Rural Areas School Districts Census Tracts Voting Districts Block Groups ZIP Code Tabulation Areas Public Use Microdata Areas 32

ACS GEOGRAPHIC AREA TYPES U. S. AND PUERTO RICO Type of Geographic Area States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico County or equivalent Congressional Districts Public Use Microdata Areas Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Total Number of Areas Percent of Areas with a Population of 65, 000 or more 52 100 3, 221 26 435 100 2, 101 100 955 55 http: //www. census. gov/acs/www/data_documentation/areas_published/ 33

HIERARCHY OF CENSUS GEOGRAPHIC ENTITIES *Decennial census data also have a block level on which all other geographies are built 34

TRACTS AND BLOCK GROUPS • Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county • Block groups are statistical subdivisions of census tracts and are the lowest level of geography available in the ACS • Block group estimates prior to 2013 release are available only in the ACS Summary File, not American Fact. Finder • Block groups and tracts are available only in the ACS 5 -year estimates 35

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI CE NS US TRACT 30. 04 36

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI - CENSUS TRACT 30. 04, BLOCK GROUPS 1, 2, & 3 37

SMALL ACS GEOGRAPHIES 38

CENSUS BLOCKS 39

ZIP CODE TABULATION AREAS • First available in the 2007 -2011 ACS 5 -year estimates • Abbreviated form-ZCTAs (“zick-ta”) • Similar to U. S. Postal Service ZIP codes For more information: http: //www. census. gov/geo/reference/zctas. html 40

PLACES INCORPORATED PLACES AND CENSUS DESIGNATED PLACES • Incorporated Places – Legally bounded entity – Referred to as cities, boroughs, towns, or villages, depending on the state • Census Designated Places (CDPs) – Statistical entity – Created to present census data for an area with a concentration of population, housing, and commercial structures that is identifiable by name, but not within an incorporated place – Examples: Columbia, MD; Paradise, NV 41

METROPOLITAN AND MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS 42

PARTIAL MAP OF VIRGINIA METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS, URBAN AREAS, PLACES 43

OTHER TOPICS 44

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ADDITIONAL ACS RESOURCES • ACS website (census. gov/programs-surveys/acs) • American Fact. Finder (factfinder 2. census. gov) • Quick. Facts (quickfacts. census. gov) • Data. Ferrett (dataferrett. census. gov) • FAQs (https: //ask. census. gov/faq. php? id=5000&rtopic=18 05) 50