Navigating the Census Bureaus

1

Navigating the Census Bureaus American
Community Survey Data Accessing Multiyear Data
for Hawaii

Morgan Walls-Dines, Ph.D. Information Services
Specialist Los Angeles Regional Office U.S.
Census Bureau
1/09
2
Overview of Session

• Background of Decennial and ACS
• Overview of ACS
• ACS Multiyear Data
• Questions Break
• Part II How to access ACS Data using the Website

3
Decennial Census

• In Census 2000, the census used 2 forms
• short form asked for basic demographic and
  housing information, such as age, sex, race, how
  many people lived in the housing unit, and if the
  housing unit was owned or rented by the resident
• long form collected the same information as
  the short form but also collected more in-depth
  information such as income, education, and
  language spoken at home
• Only a small portion of the population, called
  asample, received the long form.

3
3
4
2010 Census and ACS

• 2010 Census will focus on counting the U.S.
  population
• The sample data are now collected in the ACS
• Puerto Rico is the only U.S. territory where the
  ACS is conducted
• 2010 Census will have a long form for U.S.
  territories such as Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands
• Same short form questions on the ACS

4
4
5
What is the American Community Survey?
5
5
6
ACS Overview

• The ACS is a large, continuous demographic survey
• The ACS produces annual and multi-year estimates
  of the characteristics of the population and
  housing
• Produces characteristics, not a population count
• Key component of the decennial census program

7
Target Population

• Resident population of the United States and
  Puerto Rico
• - Living in housing units and group quarters
• Current residents at the selected address
• - Two month rule

7
7
8
Sample

• Questionnaires mailed to about 1 in 480 addresses
  each month throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
• 1 in 40 addresses per year (2.5 of the
  population).
• Average of 500-600 addresses per month per
  congressional district.
• Total of 3 million addresses each year, or
  250,000 per month.
• Inclusion of population in group quarters
  beginning in 2006.

9
American Community Survey Content
9
9
10
Social Characteristics

• Education
• Marital Status
• Fertility
• Grandparent Caregivers
• Veterans
• Disability
• Status

• Place of Birth
• Citizenship
• Year of Entry
• Language Spoken at Home
• Ancestry/Tribal
• Affiliation

10
10
11
Economic Characteristics

• Income
• Benefits
• Employment Status
• Occupation
• Industry
• Commuting to Work
• Place of Work

11
11
12
Housing Characteristics

• Tenure (own vs. rent)
• Occupancy Structure
• Housing Value
• Taxes Insurance
• Utilities
• Mortgage/Monthly Rent

12
12
13
Demographic Characteristics

• Sex
• Age
• Race
• Hispanic Origin

13
13
14
2008 Content Changes

• Three new questions
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Veterans Service-connected Disability
• Marital History
• Deletion of one question
• Time and main reason for staying at the address
• Changes in some wording and format

14
14
15
Methodology

• Sample includes about 3 million addresses each
  year
• Three modes of data collection
• mail
• phone
• personal visit
• Data are collected continuously throughout
  the year

15
15
16
2007 American Community Survey Data for
Geographic Areas with 65,000 or more Population
State - Hawaii Counties Hawaii Co., Honolulu
Co., Maui Co. County Subdivisions
Places Honolulu CDP Metropolitan
Areas Honolulu Metro Area
Congressional Districts 110th - CD1, CD2
American Indian Areas
School Districts HI Dept. of Education
Public Use Microdata Areas
00100,
00200, 00301 through 00307
17
Reference Map of Honolulu CDP
18
Using the DataFactors to Consider

• Universe and
• residence rules
• Time Periods
• Reference Periods

19
ACS Universe

• Total resident population of the United
• State and Puerto Rico
• Household population in 2005 and
• prior ACS years
• Group Quarters population added
• to sample in 2006

20
Residence Rules

• The American Community Survey uses
• a two-month rule
• Decennial census based upon the
• concept of usual residence

21
Residence Rules

• Resident of a housing unit if a person
• - Lives there year round
• - Lives there more than 2 months but not
  year round
• - Is living there now with no other place to
  live
• - Is away now for 2 months or less
• Not a resident of a housing unit if a
• person
• - Lives there 2 months or less with another
• residence
• - Is away now for more than 2 months

22
Period Estimates

• Describes the characteristics of an area
• over a specific period of time
• Contrasts with point-in-time estimates
• that describe the characteristics of an
• area on a specific date
• 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates are
  
  released for
  geographic areas that meet specific population
  thresholds

23
Reference Periods

• ACS uses the interview date as the
• single reference point, or as the end of
• a reference period, for all data collection.

24
Questions With No Specific Reference Period

• Most ACS questions
• do not stipulate a
• period of time that
• should be referenced
• Interpretation is yearly
• average since the
• data are collected
• each month and
• averaged across months

25
Questions With a Specific Reference Period
Relative to Interview Date

• Other questions specify a period of time
  relative to
• the date of interview
• Interpretation is still a
• yearly average but
• covering a slightly
• different period of time
• than the calendar year

26
Group Quarters

• Place where people live or stay that is
  normally
• owned or managed by an entity or organization
  
• providing housing or services for the
  residents.
• Two types of group quarters
• 1. Institutional
• 2. Non-institutional
• Group Quarters Population includes all people
  not living in households.
• - This term includes those people
  residing in group
• quarters as of the date the ACS was
  conducted.

27
Overview of ACS Timeline

• First year of data collection for full sample in
  2005.
• Data for calendar year 2007 released beginning in
  August 2008.
• Annual data for geographic areas over 65,000
  population.
• 3 year averages are now available for geographic
  areas 20,000 to 65,000.
• 5 year averages for geographic areas under 20,000
  in 2010.

28
Timeline

• ACS Data single year collection (e.g. 2007) is
  closed out just after the beginning of a calendar
  year (e.g. 2008)
• Single-year and multiyear data products start
  to become available in the summer of the same
  year.
• For example 2007 ACS estimates were released in
  2008
• The cycle repeats EVERY year

29
Release Schedule for ACS Data
30
Data Products Release Schedule
Five-year estimates will be available for
areas as small as census tracts and block
groups. Source US Census Bureau
30
30
31
What do I need to know before using ACS data and
data products?
32
Understanding Estimates and Margin of Error
33
Estimates

• ACS data are estimates
• ACS data are not counts of the population or
  housing
• Population counts are produced from the decennial
  census
• - Counts are updated throughout the decade
  through the Population Estimates Program

34
Margin of Error (MOE)

• Definition
• A measure of the precision of an estimate at a
  given level of confidence (90, 95, 99)
• MOEs at the 90 confidence level for all
  published ACS estimates
• Confidence Interval
• Definition
• A range that is expected to contain the
  population value of the characteristic with a
  known probability.

35
Family Income in Past 12 Months (In 2007
Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)
36
Interpreting Margin of Error

• Indicates that a data user can be 90 percent
  certain that the estimate and the population
  value differ by no more than the value of the MOE
• MOE can help data users assess the reliability of
  an estimate
• MOE can help data users avoid misinterpreting
  small differences between estimates as significant

37
American Community Survey Multiyear Data
2007

2005
2006
38
Review Period Estimate

• Definition
• An estimate that describes the average
  characteristics of an area over a specific time
  period.
  
• - Period for ACS 1-year estimates is the
  calendar
• year
• - Different from a point-in-time estimate

39
What is a Multiyear Estimate?

• Definition
• A period estimate that encompasses more than one
  calendar year.
• Period for ACS multiyear estimates is either 3 or
  5 calendar years

40
Population Thresholds for ACS Estimates
41
Constructing Multiyear Estimates

• Data are pooled across 36 or 60 months
• Data are weighted to produce estimates
• Estimates are controlled for age, sex, race, and
  Hispanic origin
• Multiyear estimates are not an average of 1-year
  estimates

42
When should I use multiyear estimates?
43
Use Multiyear Estimates When

• No 1-year estimate is available
• Margins of error for 1-year estimates are larger
  than required
• Analyzing data for small population groups

44
Currency vs. Reliability
45
Reliability
Note Fictional data
46
What should I be aware of when using multiyear
estimates?
47
Inflation Adjustment

• Dollar-valued data items are inflation adjusted
  to the most recent year for the period
• Income, rent, home value, and energy costs
• Adjusted using inflation factors based on the
  Consumer Price Index (CPI)
• Adjustment designed to put the data into dollars
  with equal purchasing power

48
Geographic Boundaries

• Multiyear estimates are based on geographic
  boundaries as of January 1 of the last year in
  the multiyear period
• Boundary Annexation Survey collects boundary
  changes
• Boundaries of other statistical areas will be
  updated every decade in conjunction with the
  decennial census

49
Geographic Boundaries Amarillo city, Texas
50
Population Controls

• Estimates of housing units and people are
  controlled to the population estimates derived
  from the Population Estimates Program
• Multiyear estimates are controlled to the average
  of the individual years estimates for the period

51
How can I use multiyear estimates to make
comparisons?
52
Comparing Across Geographies

• Only compare the same type of estimate
• 1-year estimates to other 1-year estimates
• 3-year estimates to other 3-year estimates
• 5-year estimates to other 5-year estimates
• Same time period

53
Map of Hawaii by County
Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community
Survey Handbook for General Audiences.
54
Comparing Across Time Periods

• Same geographic area
• Use caution if geographic boundaries have changed
  over time
• Easier to compare non-overlapping periods
• Make comparisons using the same length time period

55
Overlapping Periods
56
Comparing ACS Data with Census 2000

• Global differences exist between ACS and Census
  2000
• Comparisons can be made for most population and
  housing subjects
• http//www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/ compACS.htm

57
American Community Survey Comparing Data
http//www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/compACS.htm
57
57
58
American Community Survey Summary

• A survey developed by the Census Bureau to
  provide demographic, economic, and housing data
  of Americas communities every year.
• The ACS will replace the long form in 2010.
• The ACS provides annual estimates.

59
Summary Multiyear Data

• Multiyear estimates are period estimates
• Multiyear estimates include geographies with a
  minimum threshold of 20,000
• Data users should consider the tradeoffs of
  currency versus reliability

60
Summary Multiyear Data Comparisons

• Comparisons between estimates of different
  geographies should be based on ACS data from the
  same time periods
• It is easier to compare estimates from
  non-overlapping periods

61
Part IIAccessing American Community Survey
Multiyear Data
62
American Community Survey Multiyear
Overview

• Data available on website.
• Data for geographic areas over 20,000 population
• Data for total populationhousehold population
  and group quarters

63
American Community Survey Data Products
Thematic Maps Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)
Files Population Estimates Program

• Profiles
• Fact Sheet
• Data Profiles
• Narrative Profiles
• Comparison Profiles
• Selected Population Profiles
• Tables
• Detailed Tables
• Subject Tables
• Ranking Tables
• Geographic Comparison Tables

63
64
Fact Sheet
65
Data Profiles
66
Data Profiles

• Shows estimates for current year
• ACS Demographic Housing Estimates
• Selected Social Characteristics
• Selected Economic Characteristics
• Selected Housing Characteristics
• Population Housing Narrative Profile

67
(No Transcript)
68
(No Transcript)
69
(No Transcript)
70
(No Transcript)
71
Narrative Profiles
71
72
(No Transcript)
73
Comparison Profiles
73
74
Selected Population Profiles

• Produce a report on a population sub-group of
  interest
• Various Race or Ethnic Groups
• Various Ancestry Groups
• Population threshold of 65,000 for selected race,
  ethnic or ancestry group

75
Selected Population Profiles
75
76
Selected Population Profile Native Hawaiian
Alone in U.S.
77
Selected Population Profile Native Hawaiian
Alone or in Combination
78
Selected Population ProfileCountry of Birth
Japan
79
How do I access ACS Data tables?
79
80
U.S. Census Bureau Home Page
80
81
American FactFinder
81
82

83
ACS Data Products
83
84
Select Your Geography
84
85
Select the Subject of Interest
86
Geographic Comparison Table
86
87
Base Tables (Detailed Tables)

• Basic distributions of characteristics
• The foundation upon which other data products are
  built
• Show estimates with its margin of error. By
  adding and subtracting the margin of error from
  the point estimate, you produce the range around
  it called the confidence interval. (there is 90
  certainty that the true answer lies within the
  listed upper and lower percentages).
• Include over 1,200 tables on basic
  characteristics
• 9 Race and Hispanic origin iterations for more
  than 40 characteristics

88
Detailed TablesExamples

• Sex by Age by Race and Hispanic Origin
• Means of Transportation to Work by Travel Time to
  Work
• Median Number of Rooms in Housing Units
• School Enrollment by Level of School
• Poverty Status in the past 12 Months by Sex and
  Age

88
89
Poverty Status in the past 12 Months by Sex and
Age
90
B and C Detailed Tables
B02007. NH/PI Alone by Selected Groups
91
B and C Detailed Tables
C02007. NH/PI Alone by Selected Groups
92
Detailed Tables
Table Name
Table Number
Universe
Data Source
Collapsed Version
Margin of Error
92
93
Detailed Tables Collapsed Version
93
94
Detailed Tables
95
Subject Tables
95
96
Subject Tables

• Approximately 60 tables that highlight a
  particular subject of interest.
• Derived from Detailed Tables
• Shows more detail than is available in the
  Profiles
• For a given topic, present distributions for a
  few relevant subgroups
• Allow for other measures such as percentages,
  medians and aggregates where appropriate

97
(No Transcript)
98
Margin of Error
99
Ranking Tables
99
100
Click
101
(No Transcript)
102
Ranking Tables
102
103
States whose estimate is not statistically signifi
cant from Hawaii
104
(No Transcript)
105
Geographic Comparison Tables
105
106
Geographic Comparison Tables

• Over 70 tables for each comparison area
• Compare geographic areas within the Nation
• Combined Statistical Areas
• Congressional District by State
• County by State
• Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area
• Place by State
• States
• Urban/Rural and Inside/Outside Metropolitan
  Micropolitan Area
• Urbanized Area
• Compare geographic areas within a state
• Congressional District
• County
• Public Use Microdata Area
• School District
• Urban/Rural and Inside/Outside Metropolitan
  Micropolitan Area
• Can be viewed as a thematic map

107
(No Transcript)
108
Thematic Maps M1001 Percent of Grandparents
responsible for their Grandchildren
108
109
Population Estimates
110
Estimates

• Population
• National by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin
• State and county totals
• Produced in conjunction with the Federal-State
  Cooperative Program for Population Estimates
  (FSCPE)
• State by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin
• County by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin
• Incorporated place and minor civil division
  totals
• Housing units
• State
• County

110
111
111
112
112
113
Other Products

• Special Tabulations
• Done on a reimbursable basis similar to the
  Special Tabs based on the 2000 Decennial Census
• Disclosure Review Board has different rules for
  these tables than for the regular data products
• For more information, go to the following URL
  http//www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/spec_tabs/i
  ndex.htm
• Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)
• Created each year from the full ACS sample
• Size will be approximately 1 of the total
  sampling universe
• Recoding and other techniques applied to data to
  protect confidentiality
• For more information, go to the following URL
  http//www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/PUMS/index.
  htm

114
Public Use Microdata Sample
115
DataFerrett
116
DataFerrett
http//dataferrett.census.gov/
117
Help from American FactFinder
117
118
ACS File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Site
http//www.census.gov/acs/www/Special/acsftp.html
119

Table is not available for the selected geography
because its total population is less than
1,000,000 or the population within the geography
for the selected subject falls below a threshold
of 65,000. Table is not available for geographic
components.
Data are not available for the selected geography
because the population for the selected race,
ethnic or ancestry group falls below a population
threshold of 65,000. To view a table for the
selected geography, choose a more broadly defined
population group. To view a table for the
selected population group, change your selection
to a larger geography.
120
(No Transcript)
121
(No Transcript)
122
The ACS Compass Products

• Set of educational handbooks aimed at specific
  audiences
• Presentation slides on important ACS topics
• E-learning tutorial
• Webpage http//www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/Com
  pass/compass_series.html

122
122
123
For more information

• Subscribe to ACS Alert
• http//www.census.gov/acs/www/Special/Alerts.htm
• Visit the ACS/PRCS website
• http//www.census.gov/acs/www
• Contact by telephone
• 1-800-923-8282
• Contact by email
• acso.users.support_at_census.gov

123
123
124
Summary How Census Data Can Help You!

• ACS data are provided free and accessible through
  website www.census.gov
• You can access any Census data on website when
  you know
• (1) Timeframe
• (2) Geography
• (3) Type of data you need
• based on use of data.

125
Resources Need Assistance?
U.S. Census Bureau Partnership Data Services
Program 15350 Sherman Way, Suite 400 Van Nuys, CA
91406 [phone] Toll Free L.A. Regional
Website www.census.gov/losangeles laro.isp-partn
ership_at_census.gov Morgan.L.Walls.Dines_at_census.gov