2011 American Communi

Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estima

Pre-Embargo Release Webinar

September 17, 2012

Access the Audio

Toll free number: 800-857-4620

Participant passcode: CENSUS

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Speakers

Host Stacy Vidal 

Public Information Office 

Presenter Scott Boggess 

Chief, American Community SCoordination Staff Social, Economic and HousinStatistics Division 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Webinar Outline

• Release Schedule • ACS Basics • What’s New? 

– Data Product Changes – Methodological Improvements 

• Topic Briefs • Comparison Guidance • Navigating the ACS Webpage 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
2011 ACS Release Schedul

2011 1-Year Estimates (Geographic Areas of 65,000+) • Tuesday, September 18: Embargo Release • Thursday, September 20: Public Release2009-2011 3-Year Estimates (Geographic Areas of 20• Tuesday, October 23: Embargo Release• Thursday, October 25: Public Release2007-2011 5-Year Estimates (All Geographic Areas)• Tuesday, December 4: Embargo Release

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

• Thursday, December 6: Public Release 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
2011 ACS PUMS Release Sched

• Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Fi

contains individual housing unit and persrecords with limited geography to ensure confidentiality 

• 2011 1-Year PUMS File: October • 2009-2011 3-Year PUMS File: December • 2007-2011 5-Year PUMS File: January 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Basics: The Survey

• Fully implemented in 2005 • Ongoing survey that samples over 3.5 mi

addresses per year 

• Collects data on a wide range of demogra

social, economic, and housing characteri

• Publishes annual estimates for small geo

areas and population groups 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Basics: 1-Year Geography

• All geographic areas of 65,000+ total pop

including 

– Nation – All States, DC, and Puerto Rico – All Metropolitan Areas – All Congressional Districts (112th Congress) 

– All Counties and Places of 65,000+ 

• Approximately 7,000 geographic areas 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Basics: 1-Year Data Produc

• Profiles (Social, Economic, Housing, 

Demographic) 

• Comparison Profiles (2007 to 2011) • Selected Population Profiles (Race, Hisp

Origin, Ancestry, Place of Birth) 

• Ranking Tables and Geographic Compar

Tables (88) 

• Subject Tables (70) • Detailed Tables (1,476) 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://factfinder2.census.gov

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Selecting 2011 ACS 1-Year Estim

1. 2. 

3. 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Selecting Product Type

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

1. Expa

2. Expa

Type 

3. Selec
U.S. Department of Commerce 

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
U.S. Department of Commerce 

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
U.S. Department of Commerce 

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
New Data Products

• 11 New Detailed Tables 

– 9 race tables with additional detail on AIAN a– Worker population for workplace geography t

(B08604) 

– Basic employment table (B23025) 

• New Total Fertility Rate Ranking Table (R• 10 new Selected Population Profile (SPP

Iteration Groups 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
– 

New 1-Year SPP Iteration Gro

• 6 new race iteration groups published for 2011 

– Burmese alone – Burmese alone or in any combination – Nepalese alone – Nepalese alone or in any combination – Mexican American Indian alone – Mexican American Indian alone or in any combination 

• 4 groups published for 2011 but not 2010 

– Ancestry = Jordanian – Country of Birth = Afghanistan – Country of Birth = Jordan

Country of Birth = Bulgaria

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Noteworthy Data Product Modifica

• S1601 modified to include information on 

language spoken at home for citizens 18 and over 

• The ratio of income to poverty level for se

health insurance coverage tables is now out into finer detail 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Methodological Improvemen

• ACS made a number of methodological chan

2011 to improve estimate accuracy and relia

– Expanded the sample from about 2.9 million add

3.54 million addresses 

– Increased personal visit follow up sampling rates 

American Indian areas, Alaska Native Village Staareas, Hawaiian Home Lands, and remote Alaska 

– Reallocated sample from larger to smaller Censu– Changed group quarters (GQ) estimation method

improve sub-state estimates of the GQ population 

characteristics 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
ACS Topic Briefs

• In addition to the tabulated data products

Bureau will also be releasing a series of Atopic briefs over the next several months 

• Three briefs will be embargoed tomorrow 

release on September 20 

– Poverty: 2010 and 2011 – Household Income for States: 2010 and 2011 – Health Insurance Coverage of Young Adults A

to 25: 2008, 2009, and 2011 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
1-Year Briefs: October

1) Public Assistance Receipt in the Past 12 Month

Households: 2010 and 2011 

2) Food Stamps/SNAP Receipt in the Past 12 Mon

Households by State: 2010 and 2011 

3) Poverty and Shared Households by State: 20114) Field of Degree and Earnings by Selected Emp

Characteristics: 2011 

5) Work-life Earnings by Field of Degree and Occu

People with Bachelor’s Degree: 2011 

6) The Foreign Born from Asia: 2011 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
1-Year Briefs: November-Dece

• November 

– Veterans: 2011

• December 

1) Labor Force Participation and Work Status o

65 Years and Older 

2) School Enrollment and Work Status: 20113) Changes in Self-Employment: 2010 to 4) Disability Characteristics of Income-Based 

2011

Government Assistance Recipients in the Un

States: 2011 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
1-Year Briefs: 2013

• January 

1) Homeownership Among the Foreign-Born Po

2011

2) Rental Housing Market: 2009 and 2011

• February 

– Married Couple Households by Nativity Statu

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Multi-Year Briefs

• 2009-2011 3-Year Briefs 

– Multigenerational Households: 2009-2011 (Novem– Physical Characteristics of Housing: 2009-2011 (– Marital Events for Selected Group Quarters Popu

2009-2011 (February) 

• 2007-2011 5-Year Briefs 

– Poverty Levels by Race and Ethnicity: 2007-2011 

(December)

– Where Do the Rich Live? The Geographic Distrib

the Top 5% (December) 

– The Centenarian Population in the U.S.: 2007-20

(January) 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Comparison Guidance

• Compare across geographies and population su

using 2011 ACS 

• Compare 2011 ACS and 2010 ACS estimates bu

caution when comparing 

– Race – Income, Earnings, and Poverty – Group Quarters Population 

• Compare percents, means, medians, and rates 

of totals whenever possible 

• Don’t expect ACS estimates to match decennial 

–

counts or estimates from other surveys

http://blogs.census.gov/ (September 6)

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://www.census.gov/acs/ 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://www.census.gov/acs/ 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/ 

U.S. Department of CommerceEconomics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/2011_rele

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://www.census.gov/acs

/

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/comparin

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
References

ACS Information http://www.census.gov/acs/ Data User Guidance http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/ American FactFinder: http://factfinder.census.gov 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
For Further Informatio

Media Public Information Office 

301-763-3030 pio@census.gov 

General Public Customer Services Center 

1-800-923-8282 or 301-763-INFO (4636) 

Press Kit http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/arcws_conferences/20120917_acs_webinar.html 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 
Recap

• Wide range of local statistics • People, housing and economy • Embargo begins tomorrow at 10 a.mhttp://www.census.gov/newsroom/embargo• Public release on Thursday 

U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU