American Community Survey (ACS)

Data Releases Dates

By 2010, information on demographic, socio-economic and housing characteristics once available every 10 years will be available annually for all areas through the American Community Survey (ACS).

The ACS is already collecting, tabulating and publishing annual data for many areas with populations of 250,000 or more. By 2005, the ACS plans to collect data every month throughout the United States.

The Census Bureau will release annual data for all areas of 65,000 or more beginning in 2006. For smaller areas, it will take three to five years to accumulate a large enough sample to produce data for areas as small as census tracts (see chart below). Once that sample is collected, though, the Census Bureau will release three- to five-year averages every year for those areas.

Annual estimates are scheduled for release in the summer following the calendar year in which the data were collected.

t = Data reflect American Community Survey testing through 2004

* Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county averaging about 4,000 inhabitants. Census block groups generally contain between 600 and 3,000 people. The smallest geographic level for which data will be produced is the block group; the Census Bureau will not publish estimates for small numbers of people if there is a probability that an individual can be identified.

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