# Presentation: 193316

## The American Community Survey	

- State Data Center
- Business and Industry Center
- Mid-Year Meeting
- March 29, 2004
- Boston, MA

**Notes:**
Good morning.  My name is Doug Hillmer, and I work in the American Community Survey processing group.  
I head up a staff which is responsible for creating the tabulated data products that are available from the American Community Survey.  
I am going to give you a quick overview of this survey, the largest ongoing demographic survey the Census Bureau has ever undertaken.  
 Later I’ll try to answer any questions you have,
 but I will tell you up front that I am not a housing expert, but I work closely with all the subject matter analysts and their managers on this survey.

## The American Community Survey	

- Contact Information:
- Doug Hillmer
- Chief, Data Products Staff
- American Community Survey Office
- U.S. Census Bureau
- 301-763-2994
- dhillmer@census.gov

**Notes:**
Good morning.  My name is Doug Hillmer, and I work in the American Community Survey processing group.  
I head up a staff which is responsible for creating the tabulated data products that are available from the American Community Survey.  
I am going to give you a quick overview of this survey, the largest ongoing demographic survey the Census Bureau has ever undertaken.  
 Later I’ll try to answer any questions you have,
 but I will tell you up front that I am not a housing expert, but I work closely with all the subject matter analysts and their managers on this survey.

## What Is the American Community Survey?

- A large, continuous demographic survey
**Produces annual and multi-year estimates ****of  the characteristics of the population and housing**
**Produces *****characteristics,***** *****not *****a population *****count***
**Produces information for small areas including tracts, block groups and population subgroups - updated every year**
**Key component of reengineered 2010 census**

**Notes:**
What is the American Community Survey?  It is a large, continuous demographic survey.  Actually, that is an understatement—it is the largest continuous demographic survey ever undertaken.

It produces annual and multi-year estimates of the population and housing characteristics for the United States, states, and sub-state areas.  If the decennial census long form is a detailed snapshot of the United States, the American Community Survey is a video.

## Effects of the American Community Survey on the 2010 Census

- Eliminate long-form
- Better knowledge of local areas
- Ongoing contacts with local governments
- Experienced field staff to help with the short-form only census

## Potential Benefits of the American Community Survey on the 2010 Census

- Simplification
- Better initial address lists
- Cost savings during the census
- Greater confidence of community governments in the census results
- Reduction of differential undercount

## 31 American Community Survey Test Sites

| Jefferson Co., AR  | Iron, Reynolds, and   Washington Cos., MO | Multnomah Co., OR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pima Co., AZ | Flathead and Lake Cos., MT | Fulton Co., PA |
| San Francisco Co., CA | Upson Co., GA | Schuylkill Co., PA |
| Tulare Co., CA | Miami Co., IN | Sevier Co., TN |
| Broward Co., FL | Otero Co., NM | Ft. Bend and Harris Cos., TX |
| Lake Co., IL | Oneida and Vilas Cos., WI | Starr Co., TX |
| Black Hawk Co., IA  | Ohio Co., WV | Zapata Co., TX |
| De Soto Parish, LA | Bronx Borough, NY | Petersburg, VA |
| Calvert Co., MD | Douglas Co., NE | Yakima Co., WA |
| Hampden Co., MA | Rockland Co., NY | 
 |
| Madison Co., MS | Franklin Co., OH |  |

## Census 2000 Supplementary Survey (C2SS)

- Census 2000 included a supplementary survey of 700,000 addresses in 1203 counties (operational test to determine whether Census Bureau could conduct ACS at the same time, but independent of the decennial census)
- The survey was conducted throughout 2000 using the American Community Survey questionnaire and methodology.
- Supplementary Survey data similar to that obtained by the Census 2000 long-form, were released in November of 2001 for the nation, all 50 states and counties and places with populations of 250,000 or greater.

## Continuing the Supplementary Survey

- In 2001, 2002, and 2003 the Census Bureau continued the survey of 700,000 addresses in 1203 counties using the American Community Survey questionnaire and methodology.

**Notes:**
Having these counties continuously in sample give us the first opportunity to measure change annually.  More on this point later.

##    Full Implementation

- Implement an annual national sample of approximately 3 million addresses across every county, American Indian and Alaska Native area, and Hawaiian Home Land in the United States, and in Puerto Rico
- Provide profiles every year for communities of 65,000 or more
- Provide 3- to 5-year cumulations for communities of less than 65,000 population

## The growth of the coming years in geographic areas covered will be exponential!Here is what it looks like for incorporated cities and townsacross the country. (based on estimated population as of July 1, 2002)

| Places which can be published each year, starting in 2006 (pop. Size  of at least 65,000) | 444 |
| --- | --- |
| Places which can be published  as 3-year averages, starting in 2008 (pop size  greater than 19,999 and less than 65,000) | 1,147 |
| Places which can only be published as 5-year averages, starting in 2010 (pop. Size <20,000) | 17,859 |

## Full Implementation

- The current Administration is committed to full implementation of the ACS and reengineering of the 2010 census.
- Congress has approved $64.1million to fund that plan in FY ‘04.
- The Census Bureau plans to begin mail out at the full implementation rate in late June for the July 2004 panel.
- 2005 will be the first full year of the ACS in full implementation.  Estimates released in 2006 will be based on the 2005 sample.

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## A few examples of change profile distributions – Housing Value in Tulare County, CA

## A few examples of change profile distributions – Housing Value in the San Francisco Metro Area (CMSA)

## You’ll be able to put together comparative reports with charts like this one (confidence intervals not shown)

## Or, this one(confidence intervals not shown)

## For More Information

**E-mail us at:** *cmo.acs@census.gov*

**American Community Survey Web site** *(www.census.gov/acs/www)*

**Call us at:** *1-888-456-7215*

**Subscribe to the ***ACS Alert*

## The American Community Survey	

- Contact Information:
- Doug Hillmer
- Chief, Data Products Staff
- American Community Survey Office
- U.S. Census Bureau
- 301-763-2994
- dhillmer@census.gov

**Notes:**
Good morning.  My name is Doug Hillmer, and I work in the American Community Survey processing group.  
I head up a staff which is responsible for creating the tabulated data products that are available from the American Community Survey.  
I am going to give you a quick overview of this survey, the largest ongoing demographic survey the Census Bureau has ever undertaken.  
 Later I’ll try to answer any questions you have,
 but I will tell you up front that I am not a housing expert, but I work closely with all the subject matter analysts and their managers on this survey.