♦ Age

♦ Sex 

♦ Hispanic Origin 

♦ Race 

♦ Relationship to Householder (e.g., Spouse) 

♦ Income 

♦ Food Stamps Benefit 

♦ Labor Force Status 

♦ Industry, Occupation, and Class of Worker 

♦ Place of Work and Journey to Work 

♦ Work Status Last Year 

♦ Marital Status 

♦ Marital History 

♦ Fertility 

♦ Grandparents as Caregivers 

♦ Ancestry 

♦ Place of Birth 

♦ Citizenship 

♦ Year of Naturalization 

♦ Educational Attainment 

♦ Residence One Year Ago 

♦ Veteran Status 

♦ Period of Military Service 

♦ Disability 

♦ Undergraduate Field of Degree 

♦ And Other Subjects!

Housing Population

♦ Vehicles Available 

♦ Year Structure Built 

♦ Units in Structure 

♦ Year Moved Into Unit 

♦ Rooms

♦ Bedrooms

♦ Kitchen Facilities 

♦ Plumbing Facilities 

♦ House Heating Fuel 

♦ Telephone Service Available 

♦ Farm Residence 

♦ Tenure (Owner/Renter) 

♦ Housing Value 

♦ Rent

♦ Selected Monthly Owner Costs 

Subjects Found in American Community Survey

The American Community

Survey (ACS) is the largest

household survey in the

United States and provides

the most up-to-date social, 

economic, housing and

demographic data for 

communities in the U.S.

The area to the left displays 

the many subjects produced

from the ACS data collection. 

Data for the subjects are 

shown in a variety of ways 

and inside you will find 

descriptions of the ACS 

data products available 

through AFF.

Similar information is also

available for Puerto Rico

through the Puerto Rico

Community Survey (PRCS).

 

 ,the U.S. Census Bureau’s primary online

data access tool, is the source for population, housing, economic, and 

geography data produced by the Census Bureau. Look inside for ways 

to use AFF to access American Community Survey data products, such 

as data tables, detailed profiles, thematic maps, and Public Use

Microdata Sample (PUMS) files. 

The 

American 

Community 

Survey 

in 

AFF 

<www.factfinder.census.gov> 

Issued July 2009

How to Find

American Community Survey Data 

in American Factfinder (AFF)
Selected Population Profiles–View highlighted

country of birth characteristics for race, ethnic, and

ancestry groups that meet a population threshold. 

Ranking Tables–Compare key indicators across

states. 

Subject Tables–See more detail on frequently

requested information for a single geographic area.

Detailed Tables–Access hundreds of data tables

indexed by topic and available geography.

Geographic Comparison Tables–Compare data

across available geographies in the same table

(i.e., all the available counties in a state by topic). 

AFF–QUICK AND EASY 

Inside American FactFinder (AFF)

Page 2

Data Profiles–Discover highlights of demographic,

social, economic, and housing characteristics

including a narrative summary with graphs.

Go to <www.factfinder.census.gov>, under

“Fast Access to Information”, and simply type

in your city/town or county to access a fact

sheet of demographic, social, economic, and

housing characteristics. The fact sheet

shows you the latest ACS multiyear data

available for your area. 

If ACS data are not available for your city or

county (because the population is below

20,000) AFF will automatically display Census

2000 data. Additional tables and maps are

available in the people and housing sections. 

ACS Data Products in AFF 
Steps to Accessing ACS Data

Page 3

1

Get Started–<www.factfinder.census.gov>

2

3

Choose Data Sets, then

American Community Survey 

For example, choose

2006-2008 American

Community Survey 3-Year

Estimates

Click Detailed Tables

Select the Georgraphic Type;

for example, choose County

Select the specific State,

choose Virginia

Select the specific County 

choose Fairfax County

Click the Add button to move

the area to the [Current

Geography Selections] 

Click Next to move to step 3

Choose the by Keyword tab 

Type Veteran Status in the 

search box; click Search

Select table B21002: Period of 

Military Service for Civilian 

Veterans 18 Years and Over

Click the Add button 

to move the table to 

[Current Table Selections]

Click the Show Result button 

to see the table for 

Fairfax County, Virginia 
Four ways to find answers to your ACS Data questions.

Learn More About ACS Data

The series includes three dynamic components 

that are user-friendly and easily accessed by 

the Internet: 

The ACS Compass Products use illustrated 

examples, case studies, practice exercises, and 

other real-world applications intended to help 

you get the most out of ACS data. 

Go to <http://www.census.gov/acs/www

/UseData/Compass/compass series.html>

to access these materials.

User-specific handbooks 

Fully-scripted PowerPoint presentations 

E-learning 

Click the FAQs link at the top of any 

American FactFinder page. 

Visit the Questions and Answers page 

via the Contact Us link at the bottom 

of any American FactFinder page. 

Call the Census Bureau’s Customer Services 

Center at 301-763-INFO (4636) or 

1-800-923-8282 during normal business 

hours, Eastern time. 

Call or visit Partnership and Data Services in your 

Census Bureau Regional Office for local data and 

assistance, workshops, and presentations.

Regional Offices

Partnership and Data Services:

Atlanta

Boston

Charlotte

Chicago

Dallas

Denver

1-800-331-7360

1-800-424-6974

1-800-562-5721

1-800-865-6384

1-800-835-9752

1-800-852-6159

Detroit

Kansas City

Los Angeles 

New York

Philadelphia

Seattle

1-800-432-1495

1-800-728-4748

1-800-992-3530

1-800-991-2520

1-800-262-4236

1-800-233-3308

Go to <www.census.gov/field/www> for a complete 

listing of regional offices with contact information.

Issued July 2009

ACSO/06-11312

Customer Service Center:

The ACS Compass Products: American FactFinder FAQs: