THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU Patricia Doty, Jennifer Dassow, and Jennifer Hanson

What is the Census Bureau?  It is an agency that measures people, places, and our economy.

History of the Census Bureau  George Washington, John Adams and Fredrick Muhlenberg signed the 1790 Census Act, March 1,  First census was taken in 1790, overseen by Thomas Jefferson.  From 1890 to 1950’s Herman Hollerith’s electrically –operated components were used to process data.  1950’s to present computers are used to capture data.

History of Census Bureau  The six inquiries in  Head of the family and the number of persons in each household of the following descriptions:  Free white males of 16 years and upward  Free white males under 16 years  Free white females  All other free persons  Slaves

History of the Census Bureau  1902: The Census Bureau becomes an official agency.  1903: Simon Newton Dexter North became director, due to being a well-known statistician.

The Purpose of the Census Bureau  Take census every 10 years.  Provide date on each state.  Provide data for every level of geography.  Data can be found by zip codes on the Census Bureau website for areas with populations of 5000 or more.

More about the Census Bureau  The Economic Census is taken every five years for every industry.  The Census Bureau provides data on:  Americans at work  Housing  Medical/Health Care  Roads & Transportation  Rural live  Schools/Education  Urban Life  Voting

Census Bureau Data  What Data We Collect & When  Population & Housing Census - every 10 years Population & Housing Census  Economic Census - every 5 years Economic Census  Census of Governments - every 5 years Census of Governments  American Community Survey - annually American Community Survey  Our many surveys -- both Demographic & Economic Our many surveys  Economic Indicators - each indicator is released on a specific schedule, see the Economic Indicator Calendar Economic IndicatorsEconomic Indicator Calendar

Data Collection & Organization  Formulate Questions (Formulate one or more questions that can be answered with data).  Collect Data (Design & implement a plan to collect appropriate data).  Analyze Data (Select appropriate graphical or numerical methods & analyze the data).  Interpret Results (Interpret the analysis & relate interpretation back to original question).

Exploring the Census (Examples of Numerical Data) The U.S. Census Bureau provided the following estimates of the annual income of individuals for the year Income Range (in dollars)Number of Individuals (in millions)

Histogram Histogram: A bar graph for which the categories are individual numbers or equal length intervals of numbers.

Line Graph Line Graph: A graph in which adjacent data points are connected by a line. Appropriate for displaying “continuously varying” data.

Applying Percentiles & Median From examining this graph, we can easily see that the average (specifically, the median) income of individuals in the USA in 2008 was about $25,000, and that an income of $75,000 per year would place the earner at approximately the 90th percentile.

Type of PetNumber of HouseholdsNumber of Pets Bird5.7 million16.2 million Cat38.9 million86.4 million Dog46.3 million78.2 million Equine2.4 million7.9 million Fish, Freshwater 11.9 million151.1 million Fish, Saltwater0.7 million8.6 million Reptile4.6 million13.0 million Small Animal5.0 million16.0 million Exploring the Census (Examples of Categorical Data)

Bar Graphs Bar Graph: Shows relative sizes of various categories quickly.

Pie Charts Pie Charts: Uses a subdivided circle to show how data partition into categories.

Using Census in Business  There are many ways different businesses use the data of the US Census  To study their industry  Gauge the competition  Calculate Market Share  Locate business in an area  Expand their business to a new market

Gauge the Competition  To see how their company is doing compared to the rest of the companies in the same industry  For example: A manufacturer compares statistics for his company with figures from other companies Realizes that his company is was achieving lower numbers than the competition The data allowed him to speak to the board of directors and change how they operate

Calculate Market Share  By looking at the Census under the same industry a company can calculate its part of the market share  For example: A Restaurant supplier calculated its own market share by taking its own sales divided by state totals for similar businesses The owner realized he held 11% of the market share  This can help business owners pick a target when expanded to other locations

Locate Business Markets  Finding the best market for a product  For example: A new product maker looks for the best companies to present his new product to By looking at the census, he could find the top growing companies and market to them and their specifics The product could also be targeted towards other companies in that area by looking at the census

Enhance Business Opportunities  Census data can be used to help get loans from the bank or Investors  By showing data to the bank or investors that backs up the need for the loan  For example, A person wants to open up a tailoring shop geared towards women with careers They could provide the loan company with Census information showing how the area is saturated with women in managerial positions

Research  Scientists and researchers use census data to see how one set of criteria effect the other set  For example, Researchers could take a piece of data like how what industry is each state’s main industry and then compare it to how that particular state’s representatives vote on certain issues

References    Graphic Presentation Using Census Data Graphic Presentation Using Census Data