Using Statistics Canada Census Data in Institutional Research Karen Menard and James MacLean Presentation to CUPA – June 23, 2009

Presentation Format Census data Practical application using census data

Census Data The Data Liberation Initiative –Offers Canadian universities and colleges affordable access to data for the purposes of academic teaching and research.

Census Data How to access the data? –Through OCULA using Odesi software. –Through IDLS – but must have subscription service to download files. –Both services allow you to select standard datasets produced by Statistics Canada. –Files can usually be downloaded in either Beyond 20/20 or ASCII format. –Customized datasets available through Statistics Canada for a fee.

Census Data What data is available? –Information on population, families, households, dwellings, income, education, employment, housing, ethnicity, marital status, gender, etc.

Census Data Geographical levels for dissemination –Canada –Ontario –Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) –Census SubDivisions (CSD) –Forward Sortation Area (FSA) –Census Tracts (CT) –Dissemination Area (DA)

Census Data Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) –Formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centered around a large urban area. Smaller centers must have a high degree of integration with the central urban area as measured by commuting flows from the census place of work data.

Census Data Census Subdivisions (CSD) –Area that is a municipality or deemed to be equivalent for reporting purposes. –As an example, the London CMA includes nearby towns such as St. Thomas, Port Stanley, Strathroy. The London CSA will include only the city of London.

Census Data Forward Sortation Areas (FSA) –A Canada Post code which is based on the first 3 characters of a postal code. Limited census data is available at this level.

Census Data Census Tract (CT) –Small, relatively stable areas that usually have a population of 2500 to 8000 with a preferred average of equivalent to about 1650 households. –CT area is reasonably homogenous in economic status and social living conditions.

Census Data Dissemination Area (DA) –Smallest standard geographic area for which all census data are disseminated, with a population between 400 – 700 persons - - equivalent to about 250 households. –Respect the boundaries of census tracts.

Census Data City of London Population350,000 Households145,000 No. of FSAs17 No. of Census Tracts85 No. of Dissemination Areas615 No. of Postal Codes9,860

London Neighborhood near University showing Census Tracts and Dissemination Areas

Hierarchy of standard geographic units (from Statistics Canada)

Census Data Using Dissemination Area Data –Statistics Canada makes available a Postal Code Conversion File that provides a ‘best-fit’ match between a six-character postal code and standard geographical areas such as census tracts and dissemination area. –This file is your link between the census data and your internal data using postal code as the common variable.

Postal Code Conversion File showing 6-character postal code and ‘best- fit’ dissemination area

Extract from Beyond 20/20 census file showing Dissemination Area (col 1-4 and col 8-11) and selected census variables