The American Community Survey: An Overview

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The American Community Survey An Overview

• Cheryl V. Chambers, Program Analyst
• American Community Survey Office
• October 9, 2007

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Purpose of the ACS

• Collect Detailed Decennial Census Sample Data
  Every Month Instead of Only Once Each Decade
• Release Tabulations of These Data on a Yearly
  Basis

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Purpose of the ACS

• Restructure and Simplify the 2010 Census
• Improve the accuracy of Census coverage
• Improve the relevance and timeliness of detailed
  data
• Reduce operational risk
• Contain cost

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Why is the ACS important?

• Many federal agencies set policy at the national
  and state levels using census data
• The ACS allows federal agencies to respond to
  trends in a timely manner by providing up to date
  data for use in allocation formulas

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ACS Facts

• Response is required by Title 13
• Respondents must answer all questions
• Estimates are ok
• Questionnaire assistance hotline
• Administered by the Regional Offices
• Multiple methods of data collection for
  non-responders

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ACS Operations

• Three month data collection period
• Three modes of data collection
• Mail
• Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI)
• Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI)
• Data are confidential

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Information collected in the ACS

• Age and relationship
• Grandparents responsible for grandchildren
• Disability
• Language spoken at home and English fluency
• Income
• Housing costs

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2006 ACS

• Included Group Quarters for the first time
• Group Quarters population is 2.7 of the total
  population
• adding these data makes a difference
• Caution when comparing 2006 ACS to earlier years
• Comparable to 2000 Census

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What are Group Quarters?

• Places where people live or stay that are
  normally owned or managed by an entity or
  organization that provides housing and/or
  services to residents
• Services may include custodial or medical care as
  well as other types of assistance
• Residency is commonly restricted to those
  receiving offered services
• People living in group quarters are usually not
  related to each other

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Institutional and Non-InstitutionalGroup Quarters

• Group quarters are categorized into two groups
• Institutional
• Non-institutional

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Institutional Group Quarters

• Includes facilities for people under formally
  authorized, supervised care or custody at the
  time of interview
• Adult Correctional Facilities
• Nursing/Skilled Nursing Facilities
• In-patient Hospice Facilities
• Mental (Psychiatric Hospitals)
• Group Homes for Juveniles
• Residential Treatment Centers for Juveniles

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Non-Institutional Group Quarters

• Includes facilities that are not classified as
  institutional group quarters
• College/University Housing
• Group Homes Intended for Adults
• Residential Treatment Facilities for Adults
• Workers Group Living Quarters
• Job Corps Centers
• Religious Group Quarters

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Release Schedule for ACS Data Products
Data products are released in the year following
the single-year or multi-year period in which
data are collected.
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ACS Releases--2007

• Aug. 28, 2007
• Income, earnings and poverty data
• Sept. 12, 2007
• Social, economic and housing characteristics
  demographic and housing estimates Public Use
  Microdata Sample (PUMS) File data profiles
  geographic comparison tables ranking tables
  narrative profiles
• Sept. 27, 2007
• Selected Population Profiles Workplace Base
  Tables Group Quarters Data Profiles

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For More Information
American Community Survey Office 1-888-346-9682 cm
o.acs_at_census.gov www.census.gov/acs/www
ACS Alert http//www.census.gov/acs/www/Special/Al
erts.htm
Cheryl V. Chambers Cheryl.v.chambers_at_census.gov 30
1-763-3572