American Community Survey (ACS)

The American Community Survey will provide direct estimates each year for states, populous counties, and other governmental units or population groups with a population of 65,000 or more within six to eight months of the end of data collection for the previous year. For smaller governmental units or population groups (those with a population of less than 65,000), it will take 3 to 5 years to produce estimates, which will be refreshed each year thereafter.

Data for 2003 are available for the nation, most areas with a population of 250,000 or more, and selected areas of 65,000 or more.

The American Community Survey provides summarized data for sample economic, social, and housing estimates, cross tabulated by various characteristics. The summarized data products are designed to provide statistics with greater subject and geographic detail than is feasible or desirable to provide in printed reports. These products include detailed summary tables, tabular and narrative profiles, year-to-year change profiles, and ranking tables.

In addition, the American Community Survey provides a microdata file each year patterned after the decennial census five percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) file. The microdata file allows for two different units of analysis: housing unit and person. The microdata file includes as many records as possible and shows the lowest level of geography possible within confidentiality constraints. Users of the American Community Survey data can customize tabulations to examine the information in the way that best serves their needs.

These products and associated documentation are available electronically, on CD-ROM, as well as on this web site.

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