U S C E N S U S B U R E A U 

American Community Survey Reports

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 

ACS-05

Issued February 2007

Helping You Make Informed Decisions 

The American Community— 

Asians: 2004
This report was drafted for the U.S. Census Bureau’s Racial Statistics

Branch by staff of the Pew Hispanic Center, Washington, DC

(Roberto Suro, Rakesh Kocchar, Jeffrey Passel, Gabriel

Escobar, Sonya Tafoya, Richard Fry, Dulce Benevides, and

Michelle Wunsch). Edward Spar and Frederick J. Cavanaugh of

Sabre Systems, Inc. provided initial review of the report.

Direction for the report was provided by Jorge H. del Pinal, former

Assistant Division Chief, Special Population Statistics, Population

Division. Overall direction was provided by Howard Hogan,

Associate Director for Demographic Programs, and Enrique J.

Lamas, Chief, Population Division.

The report was finalized by Nicholas A. Jones, Population Division. Within the Population Division, Frank B. Hobbs and

Claudette E. Bennett provided subject matter review and guidance, Letha L. Clinton and Maryam Asi provided principal statistical assistance, and Anika Juhn and Pedro Martinez prepared the

maps. Principal editorial review and guidance was provided by

Marjorie F. Hanson, Data Integration Division. In addition, Lisa M.

Blumerman, Kenneth R. Bryson, and Deborah H. Griffin of the

American Community Survey Office provided helpful comments on

this report.

Dale Garrett, under the guidance of Alfredo Navarro and

Anthony G. Tersine, Jr. of the Decennial Statistical Studies Division, conducted sampling review.

Jan Sweeney, Theodora Forgione, and Jamie Peters of the

Administrative and Customer Services Division, Walter C. Odom,

Chief, provided publications and printing management, graphics

design and composition, and editorial review for print and electronic

media. General direction and production management were provided

by Wanda Cevis, Chief, Publications Services Branch.

Acknowledgments
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 1

INTRODUCTION

This report presents a portrait of

the Asian population in the United

States.1 It is part of the American

Community Survey (ACS) report

series. Information on demographic, social, economic, and

housing characteristics in the

tables and figures are based on

data from the 2004 ACS Selected

Population Profiles and Detailed

Tables.2 The data for the Asian

population are based on responses

to the 2004 ACS question on race,

which asked all respondents to

report one or more races.3

The American Community—

Asians: 2004

Table 1.

Household Population by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2004

(Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population

living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on

confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Race and Hispanic origin

Population

Percent of

total

population

Margin of

error1 (±)

Total . . . . . . . . . . ................. 285,691,501 100.0 (X)

White alone, not Hispanic . . . . . . . . ......... 192,362,875 67.3 0.01

Asian alone. . . ........................... 12,097,281 4.2 0.02

Not Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,955,401 4.2 0.02

Hispanic. . . ............................ 141,880 0.1 0.01

Asian alone or in combination. . . . . . . . ...... 13,466,479 4.7 0.02

Not Hispanic . . . ........................ 13,138,804 4.6 0.02

Hispanic. . . ............................ 327,675 0.1 –

Asian in combination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,369,198 0.5 0.01

Not Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,183,403 0.4 0.01

Hispanic. . . ............................ 185,795 0.1 –

Asian and White . . . . . . . . . ................ 881,813 0.3 0.01

(X) Not applicable.

– Represents or rounds to zero.

1 This number, when added to and subtracted from the estimate, produces the 90-percent

confidence interval around the estimate.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles,

S0201.

1 In the federal government, the category

“Asian” refers to people having origins in any

of the original peoples of the Far East,

Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. It

includes people who indicated their race or

races as “Asian Indian,” “Chinese,” “Filipino,”

“Korean,” “Japanese,” “Vietnamese,” or “Other

Asian,” or wrote in entries such as Burmese,

Hmong, Pakistani, or Thai.

2 The 2004 ACS datasets, including

Selected Population Profiles and Detailed

Tables, are available online in the American

FactFinder at <http://factfinder.census.gov>. 3 For further information on the content

and format of the questionnaire, see

<www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads

/SQuest03.pdf>.
The 2004 ACS estimated the number of Asians to be 13.5 million, or

4.7 percent of the U.S. household

population (Table 1).4 The number

of individuals who reported Asian

as their only race was 12.1 million,

or 4.2 percent of the population.

About another 1.4 million reported

their race as Asian and one or more

other races, including 882,000 people who reported their race as Asian

and White.5 The Asian-alone-or-incombination population included

328,000 Hispanics, and the Asianalone population included 142,000

Hispanics.6

Data are reported for both the

Asian-alone and the Asian-alone-orin-combination populations. In this

report, respondents who reported

Asian and no other race are

included in the single-race or Asianalone population (i.e., including

those who reported their race as

one or more detailed Asian groups

but no non-Asian race). Respondents who reported Asian either

alone or with one or more other

race categories are included in the

Asian-alone-or-in-combination population. The report also includes

data for the non-Hispanic segments

of these populations. Data on individuals who reported that they were

Asian and White, a part of the incombination population, are shown

separately in this report in the Asian

and White category.

The term “Asian” is used to refer to

the Asian-alone population and the

term “non-Hispanic White” is used

to refer to the White-alone, not

Hispanic population. Similarly, references to population groups such

as Asian Indian refer to the singlerace or “alone” segments of those

populations.

The Asian population is not homogeneous; it includes many groups

that differ in language and culture,

and many people having origins in

any of the original peoples of the

Far East, Southeast Asia, or the

Indian subcontinent. 

People who reported one or more

Asian groups on the ACS question

on race, such as Asian Indian or

Japanese, are included as Asians.

Among Asians, Chinese (excluding

those of Taiwanese origin) were the

largest group with a population of

2.8 million, or 23 percent of the

Asian-alone population. Asian

Indians were the second-largest

group, with a population of 2.2 million, or 19 percent of the Asianalone population (Table 2). Filipinos

were the third-largest group, with a

population of 2.1 million, or 18 percent of the population. These three

groups—Chinese, Asian Indians,

and Filipinos—accounted for about 

60 percent of the Asian population.

Other sizable populations included

1.3 million Vietnamese and 1.3 million Koreans.

2 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 2.

Asian Household Population by Detailed Group: 2004

(Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population

living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on

confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Detailed group

Population

Percent of

Asian alone

population

Margin of

error1 (±)

Asian alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,097,281 100.0 (X)

Asian Indian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,245,239 18.6 0.48

Bangladeshi . . . .......................... 50,473 0.4 0.11

Cambodian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 195,208 1.6 0.19

Chinese, except Taiwanese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,829,627 23.4 0.61

Filipino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,148,227 17.8 0.54

Hmong . . . .............................. 163,733 1.4 0.20

Indonesian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,267 0.4 0.09

Japanese . . . ............................ 832,039 6.9 0.29

Korean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,251,092 10.3 0.50

Laotian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226,661 1.9 0.30

Malaysian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,458 0.1 0.03

Pakistani . . . ............................. 208,852 1.7 0.25

Sri Lankan . . . . . . . . . . . . .................. 22,339 0.2 0.05

Taiwanese . . . . .......................... 70,771 0.6 0.10

Thai . . . ................................. 130,548 1.1 0.13

Vietnamese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,267,510 10.5 0.50

Other Asian2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250,666 2.1 0.19

Other Asian, not specified3 ................ 140,571 1.2 0.15

(X) Not applicable.

1 This number, when added to and subtracted from the estimate, produces the 90-percent

confidence interval around the estimate. 2 Includes Bhutanese, Burmese, Indochinese, Iwo Jiman, Madagascar, Maldivian, Nepalese,

Okinawan, and Singaporean. 3 Includes entries such as Asian American, Asian, and Asiatic.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles,

S0201, and Detailed Tables, B02006.

4 This report discusses data for the

United States, including the 50 states and

the District of Columbia; it does not include

data for Puerto Rico. 5 The race-in-combination categories use

the conjunction and in bold and italicized

print to link the race groups that compose

the combination. 6 The estimates in this report are based

on responses from a sample of households.

Estimates may vary from the actual values

because of sampling error and other factors.

All comparative statements have undergone

statistical testing and are significant at the

90-percent confidence level unless otherwise

noted.
Because Asians are a heterogeneous group, variation within the

Asian population is also discussed.

This report includes data for the

following specific groups that each

had populations of 250,000 or

more: Asian Indian, Chinese,

Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and

Vietnamese. Together, these groups

account for nearly 90 percent of

the total Asian population. In the

future, as the ACS goes to full

implementation and multiple-year

estimates are produced, more

information about additional

groups may be available.

HIGHLIGHTS 

While Asians resided in every state

in 2004, most lived in a handful of

states. About 35 percent of Asians

lived in California, 10 percent in

New York, and 6 percent in Texas.

Together, these three states

accounted for more than 50 percent of the Asian population.

Compared with the non-Hispanic

White population, the Asian population had a larger proportion of

younger people. Asians were also

more likely to be married than

non-Hispanic Whites, and a larger

proportion of their households

were family households. Compared

with non-Hispanic White women,

Asian women were more likely to

have given birth in the past 

12 months. 

Asians also had a larger proportion

of college graduates and higher

median incomes. A larger proportion of Asians were employed in

management, professional, and

related occupations. Asians generally spoke only English at home or

spoke English very well. About 

7 of every 10 Asians were U.S.

citizens, whether by birth or

naturalization.7

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 3

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a new

nationwide survey designed to provide reliable,

timely information for local communities on how

they are changing. This survey is a critical element

in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Decennial Census

Program. The ACS collects detailed information on

the characteristics of the population and housing on

an ongoing sample basis. These data previously

were collected in census years in conjunction with

the decennial census. Since the ACS is conducted

every year, rather than once every 10 years, it will

provide more current data throughout the decade.

Fully implemented in 2005, the ACS is the largest

household survey in the United States, with an

annual sample size of about 3 million housing unit

addresses throughout the country. Release of annual

estimates from the ACS began in 2006 for all geographic areas with a population of 65,000 or more;

3-year period estimates will begin in 2008 for areas

and populations as small as 20,000; and 5-year

period estimates will start in 2010 for census tracts,

block groups, and small populations. All estimates,

including the 3-year and 5-year period estimates,

are planned to be updated every year.

During the testing program (2000 to 2004), the ACS

sampled approximately 800,000 addresses per year

and produced estimates for the United States, states,

and essentially all places, counties, and metropolitan

areas with at least 250,000 people.

The data contained in this report are based on the

ACS sample interviewed in 2004. The population

represented (the population universe) is limited to

the household population and excludes the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and

other group quarters. For information on the ACS

sample design and other ACS topics, visit

<http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes

/exp_acs2004.html>. 

The Census Bureau’s population estimates program

releases official population estimates of the U.S. resident population by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin. For information on the Census Bureau’s population estimates program, visit <www.census.gov

/popest/estimates.php>. The ACS estimates in this

report pertain to the household population only (i.e.,

the total population, excluding the group quarters

population). Therefore, the ACS estimate of the Asian

population shown in this report should not be viewed

as the official measure of this population.

What Is the American Community Survey?

7 The summary statistics mentioned in

these highlights often refer to different segments of the Asian-alone population. For

example, birth rates are estimated for women

15 to 50 years old, and educational attainment refers to the population aged 25 and

older. The figures in the report contain information on the universe for each statistic.
Among Asian groups, Japanese had

the highest median age and were

more likely to speak only English

at home. Asian Indians and

Vietnamese had the largest proportions of children (under age 18).

Nearly two-thirds of foreign-born

Asian Indians entered the United

States in 1990 or later. Nearly onehalf of Asians had a bachelor’s

degree or more education. Asian

Indians and Filipinos had the

highest median household income.

The poverty rate was highest

among Koreans, Vietnamese, and

Chinese. The median value of

Asian owner-occupied homes was

$300,000 or higher for all groups

except Vietnamese.

4 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

The 2004 American Community Survey (ACS) followed the federal standards for collecting and presenting data on race and Hispanic origin established

by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in

1997. In accordance with these standards, which

mandate that race and Hispanic origin are two separate and distinct concepts, the ACS asked both a

Hispanic-origin question and a race question.* The

first question asked respondents if they were Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. The next question asked

respondents to indicate the race or races they considered themselves to be.**

The questions about race and Hispanic origin on the

2004 ACS are comparable with those on Census

2000. In both, the Hispanic-origin question preceded

the race question, and respondents were asked to

select one or more race categories. The 2004 ACS

question on race included 15 separate response categories and two areas where respondents could write

in a more specific race group. In addition to White,

Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska

Native, and Some Other Race, 7 of the 15 response

categories are Asian and 4 are Native Hawaiian or

Other Pacific Islander. OMB recognizes five standard

race categories: White, Black or African American,

American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native

Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. The response categories and write-in answers can be combined to create the five OMB race categories plus Some Other

Race, as well as all combinations of two or more

races. The “Some Other Race” category was included

in Census 2000 and also in the 2004 ACS for

respondents who were unable to identify with 1 of

the 5 OMB race categories. 

Because the 2004 ACS allowed respondents to

report more than one race, two basic ways of defining a race group are possible. A group such as

Asian may be defined as those who reported Asian

and no other race (the race-alone or single-race concept) or as those who reported Asian regardless of

whether they also reported another race (the racealone-or-in-combination concept).

Race and Hispanic origin are treated as two separate

and distinct concepts in the federal statistical system.

People in each race group may be either Hispanic or

not Hispanic, and people of Hispanic origin may be

any race. The Census Bureau uses a variety of

approaches for showing data on race and ethnicity.

The text of this report compares the population and

housing characteristics for the single-race Asian population with those of the White-alone, not Hispanic

population. However, this does not imply that this

approach is the Census Bureau’s preferred method for

analyzing data on race. In the graphics and tables of

this report, several approaches for measuring race

are shown. These approaches illustrate the overlapping concepts for measuring race. The specific measures shown are: 1) the single-race Asian population;

2) the single-race Asian, not Hispanic population; 

3) the Asian-alone-or-in-combination population; 

4) the Asian-alone-or-in-combination, not Hispanic

population; and 5) the Asian and White population

(the largest Asian race combination).

Because Hispanics may be any race, data in this

report for Asians overlap slightly with data for

Hispanics. Data from the ACS show that, in 2004,

Hispanic Asians composed approximately 1 percent

of the single-race Asian population.

Understanding Data on Race and Hispanic Origin From the 

2004 American Community Survey

* For further information, see <www.whitehouse.gov/omb

/fedreg/1997standards.html>.

** Race and Hispanic origin, as used by the Census Bureau,

reflect self-identification by individuals according to the group or

groups with which they most closely identify. The categories are

sociopolitical constructs that include racial, ethnic, and nationalorigin groups. For more details, see <www.census.gov/acs/www

/Downloads/2004/usedata/Subject_Definitions.pdf>.
• In 2004, about one-half of

Asians in the United States lived

in three states—California, New

York, and Texas.

• California, with about 35 percent, had more than one-third of

the Asian population, followed

by New York (about 10 percent)

and Texas (about 6 percent).

• The ten states with the largest

Asian populations in 2004 were

California, New York, Texas,

New Jersey, Hawaii, Illinois,

Washington, Florida, Virginia,

and Massachusetts. Combined,

these states represented about

three-fourths of the total Asian

population. 

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 5

A majority of Asians resided in three states.

Figure 1.

Asian Household Population by State: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population 

Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution of Asian-alone population. Data based on sample limited to 

the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college 

dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, 

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

All other states 24.4 California 35.2

New York 10.0

New Jersey 5.0 Texas 5.8

Hawaii 4.3

Illinois 4.2

Washington 3.2

Florida 2.9

Virginia 2.7

Massachusetts 2.3
• Asians represented about 4 percent of the U.S. household population. Among the states,

Hawaii had the highest Asian

proportion in its population

(about 43 percent). Asians

accounted for about 12 percent

of the population in California. 

• Four additional states had Asian

populations of about 5 percent

or higher (New Jersey, New York,

Washington, and Nevada).

• In all other states and the

District of Columbia, about 

5 percent or less of the population was Asian.

6 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

Asians accounted for more than 40 percent of the total household population in Hawaii.

MT

0.4

WY

0.6

TX

3.2

CA

12.1

AK

4.4

AZ

2.2

NV

5.7

NM

1.3

CO

2.5

OR

3.5

UT

2.0

ID

1.2

KS

2.1

NE

1.5

SD

0.7

MN

3.6

ND

0.7

OK

1.5

WA

6.3.

IA

1.2

WI

1.8

MO

1.2

GA

2.8

FL

2.0

KY

0.9

IL

4.1

AR

0.9

AL

0.8

IN

1.1

NC

1.7

NY

6.5

MS

0.4

LA

1.3

PA

2.2

ME

0.7

TN

1.3

MI

2.2

OH

1.4

VA

4.5

SC

1.1

WV

0.4

VT

0.9

NH

1.7

MD 4.7

MA 4.6

NJ 7.1

CT 3.0

HI

42.8

DE 2.8

RI 2.7

DC 2.9

U.S. percent 4.2

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Detailed Tables, B02001.

42.8 (HI)

12.1 (CA)

5.0 to 9.9

1.0 to 4.9

Less than 1.0

Figure 2.

Percent Asian by State: 2004

(Asian alone as a percent of state population. Data based on sample limited to the 

household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college 

dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, 

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)
• In 2004, Asians had a median

age of 34.8 years, about 5 years

younger than the median age of

the non-Hispanic White population, 40.1 years.

• The Asian population had a

larger proportion of people in

the 18-to-44 age group than the 

non-Hispanic White population

(about 45 percent compared

with about 36 percent). 

• More than 1 of every 5 Asians

and Whites were children (under

18). About 8 percent of Asians

were 65 and older, compared

with about 15 percent of nonHispanic Whites.

• Among the specific Asian

groups shown in this report,

Japanese had the highest

median age, 44.1 years, and

Asian Indians had the lowest,

31.7 years. Vietnamese and

Asian Indians had the largest

proportions of children.

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 7

The median age of Asians was about 5 years younger than that of non-Hispanic Whites.

Figure 3.

Selected Age Groups and Median Age: 2004 

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, 

college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Under 18 18 to 44 45 to 64 65 and older

Median age 

(years)

36.2

40.1

34.8

34.9

33.3

33.6

15.0

31.7

37.0

37.8

44.1

35.0

6.7 33.5

25.5

22.3

23.0

22.8

26.1

25.5

57.4

24.0

21.3

21.3

12.0

21.8

24.8

38.0

35.8

45.2

45.4

44.2

44.4

32.7

51.7

43.8

41.7

39.7

45.7

45.7

24.5

27.3

23.5

23.5

22.1

22.3

7.6

19.8

24.9

27.6

26.7

24.8

22.7

12.0

14.5

8.3

8.3

7.7

7.8

2.1

4.5

9.9

9.4

21.5

7.6
• In 2004, about 62 percent of

Asians aged 15 and older were

married, compared with about

57 percent of non-Hispanic

Whites aged 15 and older.8

• Asians were less likely than nonHispanic Whites to be separated,

widowed, or divorced (about 

10 percent compared with about

19 percent).

• Among the specific Asian

groups shown, Asian Indians

were most likely to be married

(about 69 percent) and

Vietnamese were least likely to

be married (about 56 percent).

About 15 percent of Japanese

were separated, widowed, or

divorced.

8 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

About 6 of every 10 Asians were married.

Figure 4.

Marital Status: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution of population 15 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the 

population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection,

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Never married Married Separated Widowed Divorced

5.3

27.8

23.8

27.7

27.6

29.1

28.8

50.5

24.1

25.9

27.5

25.3

28.6

32.4

53.8

57.3

62.0

62.1

60.6

60.9

40.7

69.0

64.5

60.5

58.8

61.9

55.8

2.1

1.5

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

0.7

0.7

1.1

1.6

1.2

1.2

1.9

6.1

6.7

4.3

4.3

4.1

4.2

1.3

2.8

4.3

5.1

7.7

3.4

4.6

10.2

10.7

4.7

4.6

4.9

4.8

6.8

3.3

4.3

5.2

7.1

5.0

8 Differences between the age distributions of Asians and non-Hispanic Whites may

affect marital status patterns.
• Asian women had a higher fertility rate than non-Hispanic White

women.9 About 59 of every

1,000 Asian women aged 15 to

50 had given birth in the 12

months prior to being surveyed,

compared with about 50 of

every 1,000 non-Hispanic White

women aged 15 to 50.

• About 8 percent of Asian mothers who had given birth were

unmarried, compared with

about 20 percent of nonHispanic White mothers.

• Among the specific Asian

groups, Asian Indian women

(with 74 out of every 1,000

women) and Vietnamese women

(with 72 out of every 1,000

women) had the highest fertility

rates.10

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 9

Asian women were more likely to have given birth in the past 12 months than 

non-Hispanic White women.

Figure 5.

Fertility: 2004

Note: An “N” entry indicates that data cannot be displayed because the number of sample 

cases is too small. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population 

Profiles, S0201. 

(Of every 1,000 women aged 15 to 50, the number who had given birth in the 

12 months preceding the survey, based on the race and Hispanic origin of the mother. 

Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population 

living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information 

on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Births per 1,000 women in the past 12 months 

Percent of 

women with a 

birth in the 

past 12 months 

who were 

unmarried

28.6

20.5

8.3

7.9

9.4

8.8

18.6

5.5

5.0

8.7

N

N

16.2

55.4

50.3

58.7

58.8

57.6

57.9

38.7

74.5

48.5

54.4

53.0

45.9

71.8

9 Of every 1,000 women aged 15 to 50,

the number who had given birth in the 12

months preceding the date of the survey,

whether in 2003 or 2004. 10 The fertility rates of Asian Indian

women and Vietnamese women are not statistically different.
• About three-quarters of Asian

households and about two-thirds

of non-Hispanic White households were family households.11

• A higher proportion of Asian

households (about 60 percent)

than non-Hispanic White households (about 53 percent) were

maintained by married couples.

A similar proportion of Asian

households and non-Hispanic

White households were families

maintained by a woman with no

husband present.

• Married-couple family households were the predominant

household type among the

specific Asian groups, except for

Japanese households. Filipinos,

Vietnamese, and Asian Indians

had the lowest percentages of

nonfamily households (about 

21 percent to about 23 percent).

• Asian households consisted of

3.0 people on average, compared with 2.5 people on average in non-Hispanic White

households. Japanese households, with 2.2 people on average, were the smallest Asian

households.

10 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

Asian households were more likely than non-Hispanic White households to be 

family households.

Figure 6.

Household Type: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201, and Detailed Tables, B11001.

(Percent distribution. Household type is shown by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based on sample limited to 

the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For

information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Married couple

Female 

householder, no 

husband present

Male householder, 

no wife present Nonfamily households

Average

household

size

2.60

2.45

2.98

2.98

2.97

2.97

2.70

3.00

2.87

3.30

2.21

2.64

3.24

Family households

50.2

53.5

59.9

60.0

59.2

59.4

50.9

68.9

59.9

61.5

46.0

57.9

56.1

12.6

8.9

8.8

8.7

9.1

9.0

11.8

4.2

7.4

13.5

6.6

7.7

13.3

4.4

3.5

4.8

4.8

4.8

4.8

3.5

3.8

5.0

4.1

2.5

3.1

7.6

32.8

34.1

26.5

26.5

26.9

26.8

33.8

23.1

27.7

20.9

44.9

31.3

23.0

11 A household is a person or a group of

people who occupy a housing unit as their

current residence. A family household consists

of a householder and one or more people living together in the same household who are

related to the householder by birth, marriage,

or adoption. It may also include people unrelated to the householder. There are three

types of family households in the survey data:

married couple, female householders with no

husband present, and male householders with

no wife present. In addition, there are nonfamily households, such as a person living alone

or with unrelated individuals. 
• More than two-thirds of Asians

were U.S. citizens, either

through birth (about 33 percent)

or naturalization (about 37 percent). Among non-Hispanic

Whites, about 96 percent were

native, about 2 percent were

U.S. citizens through naturalization, and the remaining 2 percent were born abroad and not

U.S. citizens.

• Among the specific Asian

groups, Japanese had the highest proportion of natives (about

58 percent) and Koreans had the

lowest (about 24 percent). 

• More than one-half of foreignborn Asians were naturalized citizens. Vietnamese had the largest

proportion of naturalized citizens

(about 50 percent) and the smallest proportion of people who

were foreign born and not U.S.

citizens (about 21 percent). 

• Asian Indians were more likely

to be foreign born and non-U.S.

citizens (about 41 percent) than

other Asian groups.

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 11

About one-third of Asians were native.12

Foreign born, 

naturalized citizen

Figure 7.

Nativity and Citizenship Status: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, 

college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Native

Foreign born, 

not a citizen

20.9

88.0

96.2

32.6

32.1

38.5

37.3

91.9

26.7

30.1

33.8

58.1

24.2

29.5

5.0

2.1

36.9

37.2

33.7

34.3

4.5

32.0

40.5

42.3

11.4

41.5

49.6

7.0

1.7

30.5

30.7

27.8

28.3

3.6

41.3

29.3

23.9

30.5

34.3

12 Nativity is determined by U.S. citizenship status and place of birth. Natives are

those born in the United States, Puerto Rico,

or a U.S. island area (the U.S. Virgin Islands,

Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or

born abroad of a U.S. citizen parent. All other

individuals are considered foreign born.
• Among states with at least

100,000 Asians, the percentage

of the Asian population that was

foreign born was at or above

the national level (about 67 percent) in most states.

• Hawaii was the only state in

which less than half of the Asian

population was foreign born

(about 34 percent).

12 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

More than 60 percent of the Asian population in most states was foreign born.

70.0 or more

65.0 to 69.9

59.7 to 64.9

34.2 (HI)

Fewer than 

100,000 Asians

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Detailed Tables, B04006D.

Figure 8.

Asian Foreign-Born Household Population by State: 2004

(Percent of the state's Asian-alone population that is foreign born. Data based on sample 

limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, 

college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality 

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

TX

CA

AZ

NV

CO

MN

WA

GA

FL

IL

NC

NY

PA

MI

OH

VA

MD 73.1

MA 76.5

NJ 69.5

CT 73.7

67.0

66.1

67.6

65.8

70.0

59.7

62.2

71.3

72.9

73.5

69.6

70.9

73.6

72.8

76.1

74.2

OR

62.7

HI

34.2
• About 33 percent of foreignborn Asians entered during the

1990s and about 17 percent

arrived in 2000 or later. The

majority of foreign-born 

non-Hispanic Whites entered the

United States prior to 1990.

• Among the specific Asian groups

shown, about one-half or more

of foreign-born Asian Indians,

Chinese, Japanese, and

Vietnamese entered the United

States in the 1990s or later.

About one-third of foreign-born

Japanese arrived in 2000 or later.

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 13

About half of foreign-born Asians arrived in the United States since 1990.

Figure 9.

Foreign Born by Year of Entry: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, 

college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Before 1990 1990 to 1999 2000 or later 

48.8

57.5

49.3

49.2

49.4

49.3

53.1

37.2

49.1

56.6

43.2

55.7

49.1

32.9

27.8

33.4

33.5

33.4

33.4

30.8

39.3

34.1

29.5

24.7

27.7

41.7

18.3

14.6

17.3

17.3

17.3

17.3

16.1

23.5

16.8

13.9

32.1

16.6

9.2
• About 63 percent of Asians aged

5 and older spoke only English at

home or spoke English very well,

compared with about 98 percent

of non-Hispanic Whites aged 5

and older.

• About 77 percent of Asians

spoke a language other than

English at home, compared with

about 6 percent of non-Hispanic

Whites. 

• Among the specific Asian

groups, the proportion of Asians

who spoke a language other

than English at home ranged

from about 47 percent for

Japanese to about 88 percent

for Vietnamese.

14 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

A majority of Asians spoke only English at home or spoke English very well.

Figure 10.

Language Spoken at Home and English-Speaking Ability: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution of population 5 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the 

population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, 

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Only English at home 

Non-English at 

home, English 

spoken "very well"

Non-English at home, 

English spoken less than 

"very well"

81.3

94.3

23.5

23.2

28.8

28.0

82.8

20.9

16.9

33.9

53.0

20.1

11.8

10.3

3.9

39.7

39.7

37.3

37.5

13.0

55.9

35.5

43.8

20.0

31.0

33.1

8.4

1.8

36.8

37.1

33.9

34.5

4.2

23.2

47.6

22.3

27.0

48.9

55.1
• About 85 percent of Asians aged

25 and older were high school

graduates and about 48 percent

had a bachelor’s degree or more

education. Among non-Hispanic

Whites aged 25 and older, about

89 percent were high school

graduates and about 30 percent

had a bachelor’s degree or 

more education.

• Among the specific Asian groups

shown, about 90 percent or

more of Asian Indians, Filipinos,

Japanese, and Koreans aged 25

and older were high school graduates. About two-thirds of Asian

Indians had a bachelor’s degree

or more education.

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 15

Almost one-half of Asians had a bachelor’s degree or more education.

Figure 11.

Educational Attainment: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent of population 25 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living

in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Less than 

high school High school graduate or more Bachelor's degree or more

16.1

11.4

15.2

15.1

14.8

14.8

7.2

9.8

19.2

9.2

6.6

9.8

30.0

83.9

88.6

84.8

84.9

85.2

85.2

92.8

90.2

80.8

90.8

93.4

90.2

70.0

27.0

29.7

48.2

48.4

47.6

47.9

42.4

67.9

50.2

47.9

43.7

50.8

23.5
• About 46 percent of civilian

employed Asians aged 16 and

older worked in management,

professional, and related occupations, compared with about

38 percent of civilian employed

non-Hispanic Whites aged 16

and older.

• Asian workers were less likely

than non-Hispanic White workers

to be employed in sales and

office occupations; farming,

fishing, and forestry occupations;

construction, extraction, and

maintenance occupations; or

production, transportation, and

material moving occupations.

• Among the specific Asian

groups, about 61 percent of

Asian Indian workers were in

management, professional, and

related occupations, followed by

Chinese workers (about 52 percent) and Japanese workers

(about 48 percent). About 

21 percent of employed

Vietnamese workers were in

production, transportation, and

material moving occupations.

16 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

Close to one-half of Asians worked in management, professional, and 

related occupations.

Figure 12.

Occupation: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution of civilian employed population 16 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and 

exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality 

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Management, 

professional, and 

related occupations 

Service 

occupations

Sales and office 

occupations

Farming, 

fishing, and

forestry 

occupations

Construction, 

extraction, and

maintenance 

Production, 

transportation, 

and material 

moving

34.1

37.6

45.8

45.9

45.3

45.5

41.7

60.6

52.0

39.7

48.4

43.0

29.2

16.2

13.7

15.5

15.5

15.6

15.6

15.8

7.3

17.0

18.2

11.9

13.7

24.6

26.2

26.9

23.9

23.9

24.3

24.2

29.6

21.8

20.7

27.6

29.5

28.1

19.0

0.7

0.5

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.5

0.3

0.3

0.5

9.8

9.6

3.7

3.7

3.9

3.9

5.6

2.9

2.3

4.0

4.1

4.4

5.7

13.1

11.7

10.8

10.8

10.6

10.6

7.0

7.2

7.9

10.0

5.8

10.4

21.0
• The median income of Asian

households in the 12 months

prior to being surveyed was

about $56,200. This was about

$8,000 higher than the median

income of non-Hispanic White

households, which was about

$48,800.

• Among the specific Asian

groups shown, median incomes

of Asian Indian households and

Filipino households were about

$10,000 higher than the median

income of all Asian households. 

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 17

The median income of Asian households exceeded that of non-Hispanic White

households.

13

Figure 13.

Median Household Income: 2004 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population 

Profiles, S0201.

(Household income in the past 12 months in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars. Housing 

units are classified by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based 

on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in 

institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on 

confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, 

see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total $44,684

$48,784

$56,161

$56,231

$55,850

$55,986

$53,613

$68,771

$57,433

$65,700

$53,763

$43,195

$45,980

13 Data reflect the median income of

households in the 12 months prior to being

surveyed. Income is expressed in 2004

inflation-adjusted dollars. It is based on the

distribution of the total number of households and includes those with no income.

Households are classified by the race and

Hispanic origin of the householder.
• About 12 percent of Asians were

living below the poverty level in

the 12 months prior to being

surveyed, compared with about

9 percent of non-Hispanic

Whites.

• Among Asians, the poverty rate

was about 10 percent or less for

Asian Indians, Filipinos, and

Japanese. The poverty rate for

Chinese, Koreans, and

Vietnamese was about 13 percent or higher.

• Asian children (under age 18)

and Asians aged 65 and older

had similar poverty rates. About

13 percent of Asian children and

about 11 percent of non-Hispanic

White children lived in poverty.

Among people aged 65 and

older, the poverty rate was about

13 percent for Asians and about

7 percent for non-Hispanic

Whites. Filipinos and Japanese

had the lowest poverty rates

among Asian children, as well as

among Asians 65 and older.

18 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

The poverty rate was higher for Asians than for non-Hispanic Whites.

14

Figure 14.

Poverty Rate by Age Group: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent of specific group in poverty in the past 12 months. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude 

the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, 

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

All ages Under 18 65 and older 

13.1

8.8

18.4

11.0

9.4

7.2

11.8

11.7

11.6

11.6

8.2

9.7

13.4

5.2

8.7

14.9

14.0

13.2

13.0

12.6

12.5

6.6

10.6

13.3

5.8

5.7

14.4

17.1

12.8

12.8

12.7

12.8

18.9

11.4

17.0

6.9

5.9

19.2

16.6

14 In accordance with the U.S. Office of

Management and Budget’s (OMB) Statistical

Policy Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a

set of money income thresholds that vary by

family size and composition to determine who

is in poverty. If a family’s total income is less

than the threshold for the family, then that

family and every individual in it are considered to be in poverty. For example, the

poverty threshold for a family of three with

one child under 18 for the 1-year period preceding the ACS interview was $14,974.

Poverty status was determined for all individuals except for unrelated individuals under 15

years old. The official poverty definition uses

money income before taxes and does not

include capital gains or noncash benefits. For

more information on poverty in the ACS, see

<www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs

/acs-01.pdf> and <www.census.gov/acs

/www/UseData/Def/Poverty.htm>.
• A majority of Asian households

(about 58 percent) lived in

owner-occupied homes and

about 42 percent lived in renteroccupied homes. In comparison,

about 74 percent of non-Hispanic

White households lived in owneroccupied homes.

• Among the specific Asian groups

shown, Chinese, Filipino,

Japanese, and Vietnamese households had the highest proportion

of owner-occupied homes.

Korean households had the highest percentage of renter-occupied

homes.

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 19

More than one-half of Asian households lived in owner-occupied homes.

Figure 15.

Housing Tenure: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent of occupied housing units. Housing tenure is shown by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based on 

sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group 

quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Owners Renters 

67.1

73.9

57.6

57.6

57.4

57.4

53.9

51.7

62.8

62.5

60.2

47.9

61.3

32.9

26.1

42.4

42.4

42.6

42.6

46.1

48.3

37.2

37.5

39.8

52.1

38.7
• The median value of Asian

owner-occupied homes was

about $306,000. This was about

twice the median value of nonHispanic White owner-occupied

homes (about $154,000).15

• The median values of owneroccupied homes for most of the

Asian household groups was

about $300,000 or more.

• The median monthly rental payment of Asian households in

renter-occupied homes was

about $854, compared with

about $693 for non-Hispanic

White households.16 The median

rental payment made by Asian

households was about $800 or

more for most of the Asian

household groups. Japanese

households had the highest

median monthly rental payment

($931).17

20 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

The median value of owner-occupied homes for Asian households was twice that of 

non-Hispanic White households.

Figure 16.

Selected Housing Characteristics: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Housing units are classified by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based on sample limited to the household 

population and exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on 

confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Median value of owner-occupied housing units 

Median gross rent of 

renter-occupied housing units

$151,366

$153,693

$305,643

$306,032

$300,563

$301,140

$201,038

$309,377

$349,017

$315,606

$336,882

$331,931

$207,577

$694

$693

$854

$854

$852

$852 

$832

$876

$816

$874

$931

$898

$758

15 Differences between the geographic

distribution of Asians and non-Hispanic

Whites may affect home values and rental

costs.

16 The monthly rental payment represents

gross rent (i.e., the amount of the contract

rent plus the estimated average monthly

cost of utilities and fuels).

17 The median monthly rental payments

for Japanese households and Korean households are not statistically different.
• In 2004, about 69 percent of

Asian workers aged 16 and

older drove alone and about 

14 percent carpooled to work.

Among non-Hispanic White

workers aged 16 and older,

about 81 percent drove alone

and about 8 percent carpooled

to work. Public transportation

was used to commute by a

higher proportion of Asian

workers (about 10 percent) than 

non-Hispanic White workers

(about 3 percent).18

• Among the specific Asian groups,

Chinese workers were among the

most likely to use public transportation for commuting.

Chinese workers were also

among the least likely to drive

alone to work, while Japanese

and Vietnamese workers were

among the most likely.

Vietnamese workers and Filipino

workers were among the most

likely to carpool to work.

• The mean travel time to work

for Asian workers was 28 minutes, compared with 24 minutes

for non-Hispanic White workers.

• The mean travel time to work

for the specific Asian groups fell

between about 25 minutes to

about 30 minutes.

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Asians: 2004 21

Asian workers were more likely than non-Hispanic White workers to use public

transportation or to carpool to work.

Figure 17.

Commuting to Work: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201. 

(Percent of workers 16 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in

institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling 

error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Vietnamese alone

Korean alone

Japanese alone

Filipino alone

Chinese alone

Asian Indian alone

Asian and White

Asian alone or in

combination, not

Hispanic

Asian alone or in

combination

Asian alone, not

Hispanic

Asian alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Drove alone: 

car, truck, or van

Carpooled: 

car, truck, 

or van

Public 

transportation, 

except taxicab Walked

Other 

means 

Worked

at home

Mean 

travel 

time 

(mins.)

24.7

23.9

27.5

27.5

27.4

27.5

25.8

27.8

29.9

27.8

25.6

26.5

24.7

77.7

81.1

68.6

68.6

69.0

68.8

75.6

69.0

61.0

69.6

74.4

71.1

74.5

10.1

8.3

13.5

13.5

13.5

13.5

12.7

10.3

13.6

15.3

9.8

14.2

17.1

4.6

2.6

10.1

10.1

9.8

9.9

4.0

11.0

16.0

9.4

7.0

7.2

3.9

2.4

2.2

3.3

3.3

3.3

3.3

2.9

4.2

4.9

1.7

3.2

2.2

1.4

3.8

4.4

3.1

3.1

3.1

3.1

2.8

3.7

3.1

2.6

3.7

4.2

0.7 2.4

1.4

1.3

1.4

1.3

1.4

1.4

1.9

1.7

1.5

1.4

1.9

1.1

18 Differences between the geographic

distribution of Asians and non-Hispanic

Whites may affect commuting patterns.
SOURCE OF THE DATA AND

ACCURACY OF THE

ESTIMATES

The findings presented in this

report are based on the ACS sample interviewed in 2004. The data

in this report are based on the

population living in households

that were included in the ACS sample. The 2004 ACS did not collect

information from people living in

group quarters, which include correctional facilities, hospitals, college dormitories, group homes,

and overnight shelters.

The 2004 ACS used a two-stage

stratified sample of approximately

838,000 housing units and the

occupants of these units. ACS figures are estimates based on this

sample and approximate the actual

figures that would have been

obtained by interviewing the entire

household population using the

same methodology. The estimates

from the 2004 ACS sample may differ from other samples of housing

units and people within those housing units. The process of sampling

ensures the integrity and the representativeness of sample survey

results but also results in sampling

error. Sampling error is the deviation of a sample estimate from the

average of all possible samples. 

In addition to sampling error, other

types of errors, specifically, nonsampling errors, may be introduced during any of the operations

used to collect and process survey

data. For example, operations such

as editing, reviewing, or keying

data from questionnaires may

introduce error into the estimates.

Nonsampling errors may affect the

data in two ways. Errors that are

introduced randomly increase the

variability of the data. Systematic

errors that are consistent in one

direction introduce bias into the

results of a sample survey. The

Census Bureau protects against the

effect of systematic errors on survey estimates by conducting

extensive research and evaluation

programs on sampling techniques,

questionnaire design, and data collection and processing procedures.

The primary sources of error and

the processes instituted to control

error in the 2004 ACS are

described in further detail in the

Accuracy of the Data (2004) explanation located at <www.census.gov

/acs/www/Downloads/ACS

/accuracy2004.pdf>.

Sampling errors and some types of

nonsampling errors are estimated

by the measure of standard error.

The sample estimate and its estimated standard error permit the

construction of interval estimates

with a prescribed confidence that

the interval includes the average

result of all possible samples. All

comparison statements in this ACS

2004 report have undergone statistical testing, and comparisons are

significant at the 90-percent confidence level unless otherwise noted. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Further information from the 2004

ACS is available from the American

FactFinder on the Census Bureau’s

Web site. More than 1,000 tables

are available, including population

profiles for race, Hispanic-origin,

and ancestry groups.

The Internet address is

<http://factfinder.census.gov>. For

information on confidentiality protection, also see <www.census.gov

/acs/www/Downloads/ACS

/accuracy2004.pdf>.

For more information on the Asian

population, visit <www.census.gov

/population/www/socdemo/race

/api.html>.

CONTACT

For additional information, contact

the Racial Statistics Branch at 

301-763-2402 or via e-mail

<pop@census.gov>.

22 The American Community—Asians: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau