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**CB12-228**
**Contact:**  Public Information Office301-763-3030

QuickFactsEasy StatsDetailed dataFTP siteACS websiteState Data InformationPress kit

## FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  THURSDAY, DEC. 6, 2012

## Census Bureau Releases American Community Survey Estimates,  Most Detailed Portrait of Every U.S. Community 

The U.S. Census Bureau  today released estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) for the  combined years from 2007 to 2011, providing the only statistics down to the  neighborhood level on school enrollment, jobs, housing and many other measures.  These estimates are ideal for measuring trends for areas with populations of  less than 20,000.

Along with the  estimates, the Census Bureau is rolling out a series of new tools to make it  easier to search, embed on other websites, download and share the survey  estimates. 

The American Community  Survey provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing  for every community across the nation. The results are used by everyone from  town and city planners to retailers and homebuilders. The survey is the only  source of local estimates for most of the 40 topics it covers, such as education,  occupation, language, ancestry and housing costs for even the smallest  communities. Ever since Thomas Jefferson directed the first census in 1790, the  census has collected detailed characteristics about our nation's people.  Questions about jobs and the economy were added 20 years later under James  Madison, who  said such information would allow Congress to "adapt the public measures to  the particular circumstances of the community," and over the decades, allow  America "an opportunity of marking the progress of the society."

"By telling the story of our towns and neighborhoods, the American  Community Survey helps planners locate schools and firehouses," said Thomas  Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau's acting director. "Thanks to the cooperation of  the public, the Census Bureau produces reliable,  quality statistical information even for small communities in the U.S. That's  why it's so important for households that are selected to participate in the  ACS to respond."

**Interactive Tools**

Today, the  Census Bureau updated its popular QuickFacts site with the new American Community Survey statistics,  making it even easier for people to find information about a town, county or  state. The Census Bureau has also launched "Easy Stats," a tool that allows users to build their own tables by selecting a  desired topic and geography. Early next year, the Census Bureau will release  "Dwellr," a mobile app designed to put Census Bureau statistics directly in the  hands of new users in an engaging way.

"The  Census Bureau is striving like never before to make our statistics easier to  find and use," Mesenbourg said. "We're innovating with new technology to make  statistical information more interactive and relevant to younger and more  diverse audiences. As our Founding Fathers recognized, having an informed  population is crucial to our nation's democracy. At the Census Bureau, we are  doing our part to empower Americans with statistical information so they have  an accurate picture of our nation's people, places and economy."

**Billions of Estimates**

Today's ACS release consists of  about 11 billion individual estimates. These five-year estimates are based on completed  interviews with almost 2 million housing units each year from 2007 through  2011. By pooling several years of survey responses, the American Community Survey  can generate detailed statistical portraits for small areas. Groupings of  five-year estimates are released annually. 

The five-year estimates  are available for all states, counties, places, congressional districts, census  tracts and block groups. Today's release marks the first time since the 2000  Census that statistics for ZIP Code tabulation areas -- a close approximation of  the U.S. Postal Service's ZIP Code areas -- have been released on such a wide  range of topics.

In addition to  detailing housing and commuting, the 2007-2011 estimates permit communities to  observe the composition of their population, from preschool to the oldest ages  and milestones in between, including college, work and marriage:
                            - In San Miguel  County, Colo., 16.6 percent of the enrolled population 3 and older were enrolled in preschool or nursery school, among the  highest in the nation. Among counties at the other end of the spectrum was Lincoln County, Nev., where 1.3 percent were enrolled. For the nation as a  whole, the rate was 6.1 percent.
                            - In Zapata County,  Texas, 85.9 percent of people 5  and older spoke a language other than English at home, among the highest  in the nation. Among the lowest was Ritchie  County, W.Va., at 1.0 percent. For  the nation as a whole, the corresponding rate was 20.3 percent.
                            - In Los Alamos  County, N.M., 63.9 percent of  people 25 and older had at least a bachelor's degree, among the highest in  the nation. Among the lowest was Brantley  County, Ga., at 4.6 percent.  Nationally, 28.2 percent of people 25 and  older had a bachelor's degree or more.
                            - In Roseau County,  Minn., 41.8 percent of the  civilian employed population 16 and older worked in the manufacturing industry,  which was among the highest in the nation. Among counties at the opposite end  of the spectrum was North Slope Borough, Alaska,  where 1.0 percent of workers were  employed in manufacturing. Nationally, the corresponding rate was 10.8 percent.
                            - The percentage of males 15 and older who were married (not including those who were separated) was 75.0 percent in Scott County, Kan., and the corresponding  percentage for females was 69.5 percent  in Franklin County, Idaho. Both  percentages were among the highest in the nation. The percentages were  not significantly different from one another. In Shannon County, S.D., 23.1 percent of males 15 and older were married while in Claiborne County, Miss., 23.3 percent of females were married. Both  percentages were among the lowest in the nation. Neither percentage was  significantly different from the other.
                            - In Sierra County,  N.M., 23.8 percent of  households had a person 65 and older who lived alone, among the highest in the  nation. In Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska,  the corresponding percentage was 2.5  percent, among the lowest. Nationally, the corresponding rate was 9.5 percent.

Visitors to the Census  Bureau website can find their community estimates at <American FactFinder>.

Beginning in January,  the American Community Survey will become more convenient for most participants with  the added option of responding online to the survey. That will make it the 61st  Census Bureau survey with Internet response. At that time, the survey will also  add a series of questions on computer and Internet usage. The data gathered  through these questions will become available beginning in 2014.

**More  About the American Community Survey**

The American Community  Survey replaces the "long form" that historically produced demographic, housing,  social and economic estimates for the nation as part of the once-a-decade  census. Many of the questions asked on the American Community Survey have been  asked since 1810 on the census form. The decennial census program, which  includes the American Community Survey and the 2010 Census, along with the U.S.  Census Bureau's population estimates program, serves as the basis for the  allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, local and  tribal governments every year. These vital estimates also guide planning in the  private sector as well as the work done by policymakers at all levels of  government and in communities of all sizes. All survey responses are strictly  confidential and protected by law. The collection of this information has been  directed by Congress or the federal courts.

Today's set of  statistics is the third release from the American Community Survey this fall.  In September, the Census Bureau released single-year estimates for 2011 for all  areas with populations of 65,000 or more. In October, a corresponding set of  three-year estimates (2009-2011) was released for areas with populations of  20,000 or more.

**Methodology**

As is the case with all  surveys (including the 2000 Census "long form"), statistics from sample surveys  are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. 

Please consult the data  tables for specific margins of error. For more information, go to   <https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/documentation_main/>.

Changes in survey  design from year to year can affect results. See <https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/2011_release/>  for more information on changes affecting the 2007-2011 American Community  Survey results. See <https://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/comparing_2011/>  for guidance on comparing 2007-2011 American Community Survey results with results  from previous years and the 2010 Census.

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Measuring America's People, Places, and Economy

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