American Community Survey Issued December 2004

ACS/04-HSLO

A Handbook for State and Local Officials

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

E-MAIL: cmo.acs@census.gov

For more information

PHONE: 1-888-346-9682

INTERNET: www.census.gov/acs/www
Dear Public Servant:

Thank you for taking time to review American Community Survey: A Handbook for State and

Local Officials. This booklet is your reference for questions that may arise from your constituents

during the U.S. Census Bureau’s launch of the American Community Survey.

The American Community Survey will replace the census long form and enhance your ability to

serve your constituents by providing you with more timely information about your community.

Data from this survey will be released every year. Armed with more accurate and timely data,

you will be able to make better informed decisions by having up-to-date information regarding

your jurisdiction, its people, and its resources.

Numerous state and local government officials have seen the value of this information and have

endorsed the American Community Survey. In addition, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National

League of Cities, National Association of Counties, National Association of Towns and Townships,

and other national organizations strongly support this new program.

Because the American Community Survey is part of the decennial census, responding to the

survey is required by law. This mandatory requirement and questions concerning the legitimacy

of the survey sometime prompt those selected for the survey to contact local officials. This

Handbook contains information to help you address these constituent questions and concerns.

The Census Bureau stands with you in partnership to help answer your questions and your

constituent referrals.

We look forward to serving you and your constituents in the American Community Survey. We

are sure this survey will benefit your community for years to come.

Sincerely,

Charles Louis Kincannon

Director
1

hat is the American

Community Survey?

The American Community Survey is a

nationwide survey designed to provide

communities a fresh look at how they are

changing. It is a critical element in the Census

Bureau’s reengineered census.

The decennial census has two parts: 1) the short form,

which counts the population; and 2) the long form, which

obtains demographic, housing, social, and economic

information. Information from the long form is used for

the administration of

federal programs and the

distribution of billions

of federal dollar s.

Since the decennial

census is conducted

only once every 10

y e ar s , lon g-for m

information becomes

out-of-date after a few

years. The American

Community Survey is

a way to provide long-form-type information every year

instead of once in ten years. This ongoing survey will

replace the long form in future censuses.

State and local governments are becoming more involved

in administering and evaluating programs traditionally

controlled by the federal government. This devolution

of responsibility is often accompanied by federal funding

through block grants. The data collected via the American

Community Survey will be useful not only to the federal

agencies, but also to state, local, and tribal governments.

The American Community Survey can give an up-to-date

statistical picture of a community. Community officials

can use the data to track the well-being of children,

families, and the elderly; determine where to locate

highways, schools, and hospitals; and show a large

corporation that a town has the workforce the company

needs.
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How Is the American Community

Survey Conducted?

The U.S. Census Bureau selects a random sample from

its file of housing unit addresses. An address has

about 1 chance in 480 of being selected in any month.

No address will be selected more often

than once every five years.

When an address has been selected, the

Census Bureau mails a prenotice letter

informing people living at that address

that they have been selected to

participate in the American Community

Survey. Shortly thereafter, they will

receive a survey questionnaire in the

mail. They are asked to complete the

questionnaire and mail it back to the

Census Bureau’s National Processing

Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

If the Census Bureau does not receive

a completed questionnaire within two

or three weeks, a reminder card is

mailed, followed by a replacement

questionnaire.

Addresses that do not respond within

six weeks of the original mailing will

be contacted by telephone or personal visit. Staff of

the Census Bureau’s telephone call centers attempt

to conduct telephone interviews if possible. After

four more weeks, a sample is taken of addresses

not yet interviewed, and Census Bureau field

representatives make personal visits to conduct an

interview in the home.

Because it is part of the census, responding to the

American Community Survey is required by law. This

is analogous to the mandatory civic responsibility to

serve on a jury if called. The duty to

respond is set forth in Sections 141

and 193 of Title 13 of the United States

Code. This federal law also guarantees

confidentiality of the respondent’s

survey responses and imposes severe

penalties for a Census Bureau employee

who reveals individual data.

Why Does the Census

Bureau Ask Such

Personal Questions?

Every question on the American

Community Survey is required by

federal legislation, administrative

regulation, or court decision. The

Census Bureau compiles the answers

and publishes them for geographical

areas of various sizes. Title 13 of the

United States Code, Sections 9 and 214,

specify that the Census Bureau cannot publish or

release information that would identify any individual.

The information obtained by the American Community

Survey is used to manage and evaluate federal, state,

and local government programs. Local businesses
also use this vital information. Here are some examples

of how responses to the questions are used.

Age and Relationship – The U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services and state

and local social services departments

use data on age and relationship to plan

programs for older people living alone.

In addition, businesses servicing the

senior citizen market use these data to

plan home-based shopping, home health

care, and other services.

Grandparents Responsible for

Grandchildren – Welfare reform

legislation enacted in 1996 requires the

Census Bureau to collect information

about grandparents who are primary

caregivers for their grandchildren. The

American Dream Downpayment Act asks

the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development and the Census

Bureau to study the needs of grandparent

caregivers for affordable housing.

Support groups for grandparents

responsible for grandchildren use these

data to apply for grants.

Place of Birth and Citizenship –

The place-of-birth question is asked to

measure patterns of movement from

place to place within the United States.

Also it is used to classify the population as native and

foreign born as required by the Immigration Nationality

Act and other federal laws. Community organizations

use data on citizenship to estimate how many people

are eligible to vote and conduct voter registration

drives.

Language Spoken at Home and

English Fluency – These questions

are used by the U.S. Department of

Education to allocate funds to states

and school districts under the No Child

Left Behind Act. The U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services and local

health and social services agencies use

these data to tailor their programs to

a diverse population. Television and

radio stations use this information to

define their listening audience.

Disability – This information is required

by the Americans with Disabilities

Act, the Workforce Investment Act,

the Fair Housing Act, and other federal

laws. It is used by the Social Security

Administration to implement the

Supplemental Social Security Income

and Social Security Disability Insurance

programs. The U.S. Department of

Labor promotes employment of the

disabled. Local community planners

use these data to decide where to

locate facilities and services for people with disabilities.

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Income – In household surveys, respondents tend to

underreport income. By asking about eight specific

sources of income, the American Community Survey

helps respondents remember all of the income

amounts they receive. Information about income is

used by many federal, state, and local governments

and businesses to tailor their products and services

appropriately.

Journey to Work – The U.S.

Department of Transportation

and state and local transportation

departments use information

about origins and destinations

of journeys to work, travel times,

and means of transportation to

implement the Transportation Equity

Act for the 21

st Century and other

federal laws. Banks, dry cleaners, and

other businesses need to know when

most local residents leave for work

to plan the hours they will be open.

Housing Costs – The American

Community Survey collects data about

housing costs for both owners and

renters. The Community Services Block

Grant and National Affordable Housing Acts require

this information. When combined with data on

household income, data on housing costs tell the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

about the need for housing assistance. Local builders

use the data to select sites for new developments.

Housing Value – The Fair Housing Act and other

federal laws require this information. The U.S.

Department of Justice uses these data to enforce

laws against discrimination in

housing. Businesses use data

on housing values in selecting

new office and plant sites.

Individuals use these data when

making relocation decisions.

Number of Rooms, Number

of Bedrooms – The U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban

Development uses this information

to determine the Community Development Block Grant amounts and

provide Emergency Shelter Grants

to eligible jurisdictions. Local

governments must consider whether

existing housing meets the needs

of families living in the community.

Developers can use this information

to decide whether to build town

houses for young singles, starter homes for young

families, or retirement apartments.

4
When Do We Get American Community

Survey Data?

The American Community Survey has been in a

development phase since 1996. Beginning with tests

in four sites, the Census Bureau expanded the survey

to every state in 2000.

You can find data products for the United States, the

states, and the District of Columbia on the Census

Bureau’s Web site at www.census.gov/acs/www.

Also, that is where you can find data for many substate areas with populations of 250,000 or more.

Hundreds of detailed tables from the latest American

Community Survey are posted on the Census Bureau’s

American FactFinder®. On www.census.gov, click

American FactFinder®, then Data Sets, then American

Community Survey, then Detailed Tables.

The American Community Survey will be conducted

throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico. The

American Community Survey will provide data for the

same areas that received Census 2000 long-form

data, and these data will be updated every year.

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Type of Data

Population

Size of Area

Data for the Previous Year Released in the Summer of:

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010+

Annual estimates ≥250,000

Annual estimates ≥65,000

3-year averages ≥20,000

5-year averages Census Tract

and Block

Group*

Data reflect American Community Survey testing through 2004

* Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county averaging about 4,000 inhabitants.

Census block groups generally contain between 600 and 3,000 people. The smallest geographic level for which

data will be produced is the block group; the Census Bureau will not publish estimates for small numbers of people

or areas if there is a probability that an individual can be identified.
1. What is this survey all about? This survey

is part of the census. It is a new way that the

Census Bureau is using to collect data about the

characteristics of the population throughout the

decade rather than once every 10 years.

2. Do I have to answer all of these

questions? Yes. You should answer all of the

questions. The survey is part of the census,

and answering it is required by law (Title 13,

U.S. Code). Give your best estimate for items

that ask for detailed amounts. Your answers are

anonymous.

3. What happens if I don’t complete the

questionnaire and mail it back? The Census

Bureau will contact you, perhaps numerous times,

by telephone or personal visit.

4. Why was I selected for this survey when

none of my neighbors were? The Census

Bureau takes a random sample of addresses (not

people). Any address has about 1 chance in 480

of being selected in any month.

5. How do I know that the information I

give will not be used improperly? The Census

Bureau will protect the confidentiality of your

information. Federal law sets a high fine and

imprisonment for any Census Bureau employee

who gives your personal data to anyone inside

or outside the government.

6. How will my community benefit by having

data from this survey? Your community will

receive federal funds based on this information

for schools, roads, senior centers, and other

services.

If you or your constituents require further

information, call the Census Bureau regional

office in your area. Contact information is on

the next page.

Here are some of the questions you may be asked by someone who has received an

American Community Survey questionnaire in the mail. The following are suggested responses.

What If I Am Asked About the American Community Survey?

6
Census Bureau Regional Offices

*LOS ANGELES - Southern California: Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced,

Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and

Ventura counties

*SEATTLE - Northern California: All counties except those covered by Los Angeles

REGION REGIONAL DIRECTOR PHONE

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ATLANTA

Alabama, Florida, Georgia James Holmes 404-730-3832

BOSTON

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Kathleen Ludgate 617-424-4501

New York [except NYC and Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland,

and Westchester counties], Rhode Island, Vermont

CHARLOTTE

Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wayne Hatcher 704-424-6400

Tennessee, Virginia

CHICAGO

Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin Stanley D. Moore 708-562-1350

DALLAS

Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas Alfonso E. Mirabal 214-253-4400

DENVER

Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Susan A. Lavin 303-969-6750

New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota,

Utah, Wyoming

DETROIT

Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia Dwight P. Dean 313-259-1158

KANSAS CITY

Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Henry L. Palacios 913-551-6728

Missouri, Oklahoma

LOS ANGELES

Southern California*, Hawaii James T. Christy 818-904-6393

NEW YORK

NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester counties, Lester A. Farthing 212-584-3400

New Jersey [Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Middlesex,

Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren counties]

PHILADELPHIA

Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey Fernando Armstrong 215-717-1800

[Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland,

Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Salem,

Ocean counties], Pennsylvania

SEATTLE

Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Northern California*, Washington Ralph J. Lee 206-553-5837
U.S. Conference of Mayors

National League of Cities

National Conference of State Legislatures

National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund

National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc.

National Association of Counties (NACO)

National Association of Towns and Townships (NATAT)

National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials

International City/County Management Association (ICMA)

National Black Caucus of State Legislators

National Association of Black County Officials

National Association of Regional Councils

Τ

he American Community Survey has been endorsed by

over 50 state, local, and tribal government groups

and elected officials, including:

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