2006-2010 

American Community Survey (A

5-Year Estimates

Embargo Release Webinar

December 6, 2011
Introductions

• Shelly Hedrick Public Affairs Specialist, 

Public Information Office

• Scott Boggess Chief, ACS Coordination S

Social Economic and HoStatistics Division
Outline

• 5-Year Estimates Notes• Data Product Changes • Comparison Guidance• Highlights• Questions & Answers• American FactFinder Demonstration
ACS is a Large, Continuous Su

• Samples about 3.5 million addresses/year • Multiple modes of data collection• Estimates of social, economic, demographi

housing characteristics

• Estimates for small areas and population g• New 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates ev4
ACS Estimates Are NOT the 

2010 Census Population Cou

• 2010 Census counted the population to sup

apportionment and redistricting

• ACS surveys about 2% of the population to 

an annual portrait of community’s characte

• ACS allows the decennial census to focus o

providing the best count of the population

5
ACS Estimates are Period Estim

• Describe the average characteristics over 

specific period of time

– 1 year (12 months)– 3 years (36 months) – 5 years (60 months)

• Do not represent a single point in time• 5-year estimates are NOT an average of fiv

estimates

6
5-Year Estimates Details

• Cover period from Jan. 1, 2006 to Dec. 31, • Geographic boundaries as of Jan. 1, 2010• Dollar values inflation adjusted to 2010 dol• Over 11 billion characteristic estimates • Nearly 700,000 unique geographic areas• Estimates published regardless of margin o
ACS Data Dissemination: 1-Ye

3-Year, and 5-Year Estimate

Estimated Population ofGeographic Area

Type of ACS Estim

Released

65,000 or more 1

‐year,

3

‐year, and

5

20,000 to 64,999 3

‐year, and

5

‐ye

Less than 20,000 5

‐year

8
5-Year Estimates Published 

for All Geographies

Percentage with Pub

ACS Estimates

1‐Year

3‐Year 

United States 100 100 

State, DC, Puerto Rico 100 100 

County or equivalent 25 59 Place (incorporated places and census

designated places) 2 8 Unified School District 7 26 Census Tract 0 0 

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5-Year Data Products

• Subset of the 1-Year and 3-Year Data Produ

– Fewer Detailed Tables– No Ranking Tables– No Comparison Profiles– No Selected Population Profiles

• Contains Fewer Topics

– No Health Insurance Coverage (2008-2012)– No Disability Status (2008-2012)– No Marital History (2008-2012)– No Field of Bachelor’s Degree (2009-2013)
5-Year Data Product Change

• 10 New Detailed Tables: 

– 7 housing– 2 fertility– 1 place of birth

• 3 New Geographic Comparison Tables• About 150 modified tables

– Updates reflect 2010 Standard Occupational Classificatio– Universe descriptions changed to match 2010 Census

• 1 Deleted Geographic Comparison Table• All tables, except block group tables, now available 
http://www.census.gov/acs/
http://www.census.gov/acs/
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/2010_re
Comparison Guidance

• Compare across geographies and populatio

subgroups using 2006-2010 ACS

• Be careful comparing across data sets

– Don’t expect 2006-2010 ACS 5-year estimates t

2010 Census counts

– Don’t compare 2006-2010 ACS 5-year estimate

2005-2009 ACS 5-year estimates

– Do not mix 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates 

making comparisons
Geographic Comparison Tables 

• GCTs assist in comparing across geographie• 78 characteristics• Allow for comparisons across

– States– Counties– Places– Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas– Combined Statistical Areas– Congressional Districts– Urban/Rural Areas– Urbanized Areas– PUMAs– School Districts– American Indian Areas/Alaska Native Areas/Hawaiian Homeland

Native Regional Corporations
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Comparing ACS and Cens

• Quick Guide –

Simple topic by topic recommendations fmaking comparisons; what you SHOULD 

• Comparison Guidance –

More detailed explanation of how differeimpact comparability

• Table Comparison Tool –

Helps you locate comparable ACS and Ce2000 Detailed Tables
http://www.census.gov/acs/
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_u
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/compari
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/table_comp
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Margins of Error

• ACS publishes margins of error (MOEs) for m

estimates

• Check MOEs to ensure estimates have suff

reliability for their intended use

• Reliability can be improved by aggregating 

geographies or subpopulations
ACS 5-Year Briefs

Releasing Today

• Native North American Languages Spoken 

Home in the United States: 2006-2010

• Areas with Concentrated Poverty: 2006-201

Releasing January 2012

• Household Income Inequality within US Cou

2010
Highlights from the 

ACS 5-Year Briefs
Native North American Langua

Spoken at Home in the United S

• 372,000 people speak a Native North American la• 64% live in an American Indian or Alaska Native Ar

(AIANA)

• Navajo is the most common Native North American 

language with 169,000 speakers followed by Yupik Dakota with approximately 19,000 speakers each

• 5.4% of people in AIANAs spoke a Native North Am

language

Areas with Concentrated Pove

• 13.8% of the population are in poverty (2006-2010 • 50% of the poor live in Census tracts with poverty 

20% or more

• Proportion of the population living in Census tracts 

poverty rates of 20% or more ranged from 5% in NHampshire to 46% in Mississippi

• 55% of children live in tracts with poverty rates of 2

more
Areas with Concentrated Poverty 

• Of those living in tracts with poverty rates of less th

13.8%

– 81% White– 7% Black– 6% Asian

• Of those living in tracts with poverty rates of 40% o

– 43% White– 38% Black– 3% Asian
Areas with Concentrated Poverty 

Characteristic

Tracts withpoverty rates less

than 13.8%

Tr

p

4

Percent with less than

a high school diploma 10% 

Received Food Stamp/SNAP benefits 5% 

Female

‐householder families 14% 

Worked year

‐round, full

‐time 65% 
Questions?

Following the webinar, please contact the 

Public Information Office with any questions

301-763-3030
Upcoming Releases

• 2010 Census Summary File 2 

December 13: Embargo of first set of states, WebinarDecember 15: Public Release, first set of statesWhat it is: 

• Detailed demographic information for up to 331 detailed 

ethnic groups 

• Available down to the census tract level • Available for states on a flow basis

• State Population Estimates: July 1, 2011

December 20 (Tentative): Public Release (news releasWhat it is: 

• First set of annual estimates that use the 2010 Census 

benchmark
References

ACS Informationhttp://www.census.gov/acs/2010 ACS Release Informationhttp://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/2010_rData User Guidancehttp://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/American FactFinderhttp://factfinder2.census.gov