# Presentation: 760840

## Census Geographic Programs Update

- Linda M. Franz
- U.S. Census Bureau
- State Data Center/Business and Industry Data Center Annual Meeting
- October 10, 2007

## MAF/TIGER Accuracy Improvement Program

- Realignment of road centerline data in the MAF/TIGER Database
- Harris Corporation exceeded their FY 2007 delivery goal of 694 counties—723 counties delivered
- On schedule for Spring 2008 completion

## Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA)

- First implemented for Census 2000
- Purpose is to improve the census address list using local knowledge
- Confidentiality of address information
- Met a long-standing interest expressed by governmental stakeholders in the decennial census

## 2010 LUCA Program Status/Milestones

- Advance notice mailout occurred in January/February 2007
- Invitation mailout occurred in August 2007
- Last LUCA submissions due to Census Bureau by April 4, 2008

## 2010 LUCA Program Status/Milestones

- Census Bureau validates LUCA changes in Address Canvassing operation planned for February to June 2009
- Census Bureau feedback to LUCA participants August to October 2009
- LUCA appeals process conducted September 2009 to January 2010

## LUCA Invitation Response 

- As of 10/09/2007:
- 5105 responses
- 2602 acceptances
- 2503 declinations
- Respondents overwhelmingly electing Option 1, Full Address List Review

## Thank You to the SDC Network!

- For:
- Your comments on training materials
- Your updates to our contacts database
- Your contributions to the promotional workshops, the technical workshops, and the general promotion of LUCA
- Your followup on the BAS

## Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

- Collects boundary and area change information for legal areas
- Also permits review of area names and relationships
- Survey universe includes all legal entities starting in 2008!

## Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

- Enables data reporting for:
- 2010 Census
- ACS
- Economic Census
- Population Estimates
- Other Census Bureau surveys

## Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

- Annual BAS schedule:
- Advance letters—September
- Materials mailout—January
- April 1—response deadline for inclusion in ACS and Population Estimates
- May 31—response deadline for reflection of changes in next survey

## Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

- Response modes
- Paper
- MAF/TIGER Partnership Software
- Digital BAS
- e-BAS for forms submission
- Web BAS (starting in 2009)

## Participant Statistical Areas

- Census Tracts
- Block Groups
- Census Designated Places
- Census County Divisions
- Proposed criteria published in the Federal Register, April 6, 2007
- Nearly 200 comments received
- Most pertaining to Block Groups and Census County Divisions

## Census Tracts: Considerations for the 2010 Census

- Housing unit counts or population counts to meet thresholds
- Commenters supported use of housing unit counts

|  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   | Census 2000 | Proposed for the 2010 Census |  |  |
|   |  Population | Population | Housing Unit |  |
| Optimum | 4,000 | 4,000 | 1,600 |  |
| Minimum | 1,500 | 1,200 | 480 |  |
| Maximum | 8,000 | 8,000 | 3,200 |  |

**Thresholds**

**Notes:**
2.5 persons per Household.  

We have had a number of comments asking us to switch to HU counts, because of ease of validation, although data disclosure issues primarily involve population and not HUs.  Thus we will allow locals to use either threshold.  

In addition, the HU counts allow a better definition of seasonal communities that may receive ACS data.  

## Block Groups:Considerations for the 2010 Census

- Increase minimum population threshold from 600 to 1,200
- Housing unit counts or population counts to meet thresholds
- Commenters did not favor increasing the minimum population threshold

|  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   | Census 2000 | Proposed for the 2010 Census |  |  |  |
|   |  Population | Population |  | Housing Unit |  |
| Optimum | 1,500 | --- |  | --- |  |
| Minimum | 600 | 1,200 |  | 480 |  |
| Maximum | 3,000 | 3,000 |  | 1,200 |  |

**Thresholds**

**Notes:**
Much like census tracts, we were considering raising the minimum population for a BG in the 2010 Census to 600 or 750 across the board.  But, we wanted to speak to Census Bureau statisticians before we made a decision.  

We met with the ACS team leaders on this issue, and came away with a minimum desirable population of 1200 for sample data.  

This threshold will not be strictly enforced, but we will strongly suggest that participants meet this threshold for their BGs if the they want sample data to be available and reliable for their BGs.  

Again similar to census tracts, we have had a number of comments asking us to switch to HU counts for thresholds because it is easier to validate, although data disclosure issues primarily involve population and not HUs.  Thus we will allow locals to use either threshold.  

In addition, the HU counts allow a better definition of seasonal communities that may receive ACS data.  

## Tracts and Block Groups:Considerations for the 2010 Census

- Special land use tracts and block groups
- Areas of 1 sq. mile or more within an urban area, 10 sq. miles outside
- Little or no residential population
- Has an official name
- Large public parks, large public forests
- Commenters supported this proposal

**Notes:**
This is not a requirement for participants do delineate these areas, rather an opportunity if they are desired.  

Special land use tracts and BGs can also be military bases, large airports, large marine ports, or other federal/state/locally managed lands that are primarily unpopulated.  

We have always allowed separate census tracts and BGs for ocean/costal areas and the Great Lakes.  We would like to stop this.  

Islands are excluded from water tracts and BGs. 

## Tribal tracts and tribal block groups 
Unique geographic framework separate from the county-based census tracts and block groups that are defined nationwide

Commenters favored this proposal, but also requested more information and clarification

- Unique geographic framework separate from the county-based census tracts and block groups that are defined nationwide
- Commenters favored this proposal, but also requested more information and clarification

- Tract and Block Groups: Considerations for the 2010 Census

**Notes:**
defined by federally recognized American Indian tribes on their reservation and off-reservation trust lands (legal land base)
can cross state and county boundaries should their reservations and ORTLs cross county boundaries.
This approach differs from the procedure used in Census 2000 in which tribal tracts and tribal block groups were defined for federally recognized American Indian reservations and/or off-reservation trust lands and census tracts were identified by superimposing county and state boundaries onto the tribal tracts and tribal block groups.  
For 2010, standard county-based census tracts will cover each county; being defined nationwide in a wall-to-wall coverage, including all AIAN areas.  Tribal tracts will be delineated with their sole focus on meaningful tribal geography and data, and not take into account the counties data needs. 
Data availability and reliability should improve for both standard tracts and tribal tracts.  This also applies to block group geographies as well.  
We still encourage standard county-based tracts not to split AIRs/ORTLs if possible (i.e., below 2400).  
We expect Census 2000 tribal tracts and county-based tracts in AIR and ORTL areas will be changed as a result of the new approach.

## Census Designated Places

- Place-level statistics for well-known, settled unincorporated communities;
- Statistical equivalents of incorporated places;
- Mix of residential, commercial, and retail areas around a nucleus of relatively high residential population density

## Census Designated Places:Considerations for the 2010 Census

- CDPs cannot have zero population and zero housing units
- Commenters:  general support
- Restrict use of hyphenated names
- Commenters:  clarification needed
- Not allow CDPs to be defined coextensively with governmentally functioning MCDs in the 12 “strong-MCD” states
- Commenters did not see need for change

**Notes:**
CDPs should not be coextensive with any other higher levels of geography, including MCDs, counties and AIRs.  

CDPs would still be allowed for concentrations of population within the larger MCD.  

## Census County Divisions

- Set of sub-county units that have stable boundaries and recognizable names;
- Provide comparable set of sub-county geographic areas for longitudinal analysis;
- Represents one or more communities, trading centers, or major land uses;
- Can have more CCDs than census tracts in counties with small populations

## Census County Divisions:Considerations for the 2010 Census

- Options:
- Retain the CCD concept
- Eliminate the CCD concept and do not replace with another type of sub-county geographic unit
- Commenters strongly favored retaining CCDs.
- Census Bureau Statistical Areas Committee decided on 9/11/2007 to retain CCDs as a geographic unit

**Notes:**
Seeming lack of use.  

Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, California, and Alaska.  

“The Oregon Department of Human Services uses these sub county divisions in Health Professional Shortage Area designations and Medically Underserved Area designations.  Many of our counties would be hard to study without this level of data.  Health Care planning often uses a travel time of 30 minutes for a service area.  For western counties that are as big as some eastern states, this level of data is very much needed.  I'm sure many other western states feel the same way. Thank you for this consideration.” -- Nancy Abrams, DMD, Primary Care Planner, Health Systems Planning

## Participant Statistical Areas Program

- Participants:
- Census 2000 participant
- Regional, multi-county organizations
- Local government agency
- Committee of interested organizations, individuals
- To reflect local input and the needs of a wide range of data users
- Participation open to all interested parties
- MAF/TIGER Participant Software for electronic submission of boundaries

**Notes:**
PSAP primary participants in the order they will be approached: 
1)  Federally recognized American Indian tribes with an AIR and/or ORTL (over 1400 population in Census 2000). 
  Regional organizations (regional planning organizations, councils of government, and/or metropolitan planning organizations).  
  Counties. 
  Large cities, if and only if they agree to define all for PSAP areas for their entire county or counties in which they are located.  
  State Data Centers or State Demographers.  

## Participant Statistical Areas Program

- Where do we go from here?
- Final criteria published early 2008
- Participants identified late 2007 – early 2008
- Materials distributed:  late Summer 2008
- Participants will have 120 days to review and submit boundaries

## Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ)

- Reimbursable delineation program conducted for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Areas for tabulation of transportation-related data, including journey-to-work and place-of-work

## Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ)

- FHWA currently developing their requirements, considering 2 or 3 level approach given data disclosure issues
- Delineation by Metropolitan Planning Organizations likely to start early 2009 to take preliminary tract/block group delineations into account

## School District Review Program

- Conducted every 2 years by the Census Bureau—now starting 2007-2008 cycle
- Provides the geography for estimates of the number of children aged 5-17 in low income families by school district
- These estimates are the basis for
- 	Title 1 allocations for states
- National Center for Education Statistics distributes the data

## School District Review Program

- The Geography Division’s role:
- Conducted a workshop for state mapping coordinators in July
- Provide materials reflecting 2005-2006 school district information to state coordinators (names, boundaries, grade ranges)—starts this Fall

## School District Review Program

- The Geography Division’s role:
- Process updates from states and providing verification materials—Winter 2008
- Process corrections resulting from verification—Spring 2008
- Census Bureau releases preliminary estimates—Fall 2008

## Questions?

- Linda Franz
- Assistant Division Chief for Geographic Partnership Programs
- _[linda.m.franz@census.gov](mailto:linda.m.franz@census.gov)_
- (301)-763-9061