UPDATE: The American Community Survey U.S. Census Bureau Ana-Maria Garcia Partnership & Data Specialist Boston Region Office

Change and Innovation at the Census Bureau The 1940 Census The Need for Innovation for the 2010 Census

The American Community Survey Large, continuous demographic survey Annual and multi-year estimates Information for small areas and populations Current residence rule Continuous measurement Replaces 2010 long form

Operations 3 million households each year Data collection by mail, phone, visits Testing underway, successful to date Highly trained, permanent staff

Major Stages in the American Community Survey Plan  : Demonstration period – completed on time, on budget  : Census comparison studies – underway, on time, on budget  2003 and beyond: National implementation  2010: Replaces the long form to allow total focus on counting the population

Program Benefits Current data for decisionmaking Public policy needs Returns 2010 Census to original role of counting the population Role in updating addresses Cost savings over the decade

The American Community Survey Survey Provides Information Age, gender, race/ethnicity Families, children, the elderly Income, poverty Educational attainment; school enrollment Work, unemployment Disability Immigration; language ability Housing And more

Information for Public Policy Measures level, direction, effect of change Improves current estimates: population, unemployment, poverty Current information for funding allocations Helps measure program performance Provides sampling frame for other surveys Provides context for strategic decisionmaking

Standard Data Products: The American Community Survey  Narrative and tabular profiles  Summary tables

Annual and Multi-Year Estimates Annual average: areas of 65,000 or more people, starts 2004 and every year thereafter 3-year averages: 20,000 – 64,999 people, starts 2006 and every year thereafter 5-year averages: less than 20,000 people, starts 2008 and every year thereafter (includes census tracts, rural areas)

Planned Data Release Dates: Nationwide American Community Survey X= Average for the previous calendar year

The Census 2000 Supplementary Survey (C2SS) 700,000 households Objective: to test feasibility of conducting the ACS concurrent with a decennial census Used ACS survey methods and questionnaire Produced national and state-level long- form type data available July, 2001

Census 2000 Supplementary Survey:  Preview of what the American Community Survey will provide yearly, beginning in 2004, pending congressional approval of funding  August, 2001: 107 core tables for 50 states, nation and District of Columbia  Fall, 2001: 107 core tables for cities, counties and metropolitan areas with populations  250,000  Winter, : 700 additional tables

The Census 2000 Supplementary Survey (C2SS) Estimates based on sample from 700,000 households (C2SS) + the 191,000 households from the 31 ACS sites in 2000 Does not include group quarters C2SS data and 1990 data most comparable for selected population and housing items. Front-page story in major newspapers throughout the U.S.

The New 2000 American Community Survey Web site

Navigating to Community Level Data on the American Community Survey Web Site

Finding Community Data on the American Community Survey Web Site

Data Products Available on the New 2000 American Community Survey Web Site

Easy Reference Narrative Profiles on the American Community Survey Web Site

Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Web Site

Community Level Data on the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Web Site

Data Products on the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Web Site

Data From the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Web Site

Data Products: Summary 1999 ACS 31-site data on CD-ROM, ACS web site, and American FactFinder 2000 ACS 31-site and C2SS data on ACS and C2SS web sites and American FactFinder

Finding the Data Products  American FactFinder Web site  American Community Survey Web site  Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Web site  Information and Questions

2000 Sites With Data Available on the New American Community Survey Web Site*  Jefferson Co., AR  Pima Co., AZ  San Francisco Co., CA  Tulare Co., CA  Broward Co., FL  Lake Co., IL  Black Hawk Co., IA  Calvert Co., MD  Hampden Co., MA  Madison Co., MS  Flathead-Lake Cos., MT  Bronx Borough, NY  Douglas Co., NE  Rockland Co., NY  Franklin Co., OH  Multnomah Co., OR  Schuylkill Co., PA  Sevier Co., TN  Ft. Bend-Harris Cos., TX  Starr-Zapata Cos., TX  Yakima Co., WA *areas with population 65,000 and over

Next Data Releases From Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Nov., core tables for geographic areas with populations of 250,000 or greater

Future Plans  Continued Testing and Evaluations  Office of Management and Budget (OMB) oversight of questionnaire content  Ongoing meetings with Congress  Full implementation subject to congressional approval of funding