American Community Survey (ACS)

2006 American Community Survey Data Products
Now Include the Group Quarters Population

Many 2006 ACS Data Products Are Now For the Total Population

The introduction of the group quarters (GQ) population in the 2006 ACS brings a few changes to our data products. Beginning in 2006, the ACS expanded from the housing unit population to the total population. For the detailed tables listed below, the universe expanded from "Housing Unit Population" to the "Total Population." For a small number of tables the universe for the distributions will continue to be the housing unit population. Lines will be added to the tables to identify the GQ population and allow the table to sum the total population.

How does the addition of the GQ population impact the 2006 ACS data?

Many types of GQ populations have demographic, social, or economic characteristics that are very different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population in the 2006 ACS could therefore have a noticeable impact on the distributions of these characteristics. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population. See the examples below.

• In Folsom, California, home to a large state prison, the percent of civilian males, age 20 to 64 who were employed, was 85 percent in 2005. This was based on the household population only. The employment rate for this age group is much lower for the GQ state prison population. We expect that in 2006, the percent of civilian males, age 20 to 64 who were employed, could drop substantially to rates around 65 percent.

• In Jacksonville, North Carolina, home to a large military base, the percent of the population that is female was 52 percent in 2005. The GQ population in this area has a much higher rate of males. Adding the military GQ population to the 2006 ACS is expected to alter this distribution, specifically reducing the percent of the population that is female to a rate close to 40 percent.

• In New Haven, Connecticut, home to several colleges and universities, the percent of individuals 18 to 24 who were enrolled in college or graduate school was 25 percent in 2005. This was based on the household population only. The GQ population includes college students and therefore the percent of individuals 18 to 24 who were enrolled in college or graduate school in this area is expected to increase to over 50 percent in 2006.

Data Products for the GQ Population

• New Detailed Tables - The detailed tables provide basic distributions of characteristics. They are the foundation upon which other data products are built. These tables display estimates and the associated Margins of Error (90 percent confidence interval). The 2006 ACS includes detailed tables with estimates of the total group quarters population.

• New Subject Tables - These data products provide certain characteristics for a subject of interest. The 2006 ACS includes four subject tables for the population living in group quarters.
  • S2601A - Characteristics of the Group Quarters Population profiles the total group quarters population, the institutionalized group quarters population, and the noninstitutionalized group quarters population for the nation, regions, and divisions.
  • S2601B - Characteristics of the Group Quarters Population by Group Quarters Type profiles the three major group quarters types and the total group quarters population for the nation.
  • S2601C - Characteristics of the Group Quarters Population in the United States profiles the total group quarters population for states with a group quarters population greater than 45,000. See the list of 35 states meeting this threshold below.
  • S2601C-PR - Characteristics of the Group Quarters Population in Puerto Rico profiles the total group quarters population in Puerto Rico.
States meeting the group quarters population threshold (FIPS Code and Name):

01 - Alabama	21 - Kentucky	39 - Ohio
04 - Arizona	22 - Louisiana	40 - Oklahoma
05 - Arkansas	24 - Maryland	41 - Oregon
06 - California	25 - Massachusetts	42 - Pennsylvania
08 - Colorado	26 - Michigan	45 - South Carolina
09 - Connecticut	27 - Minnesota	47 - Tennessee
12 - Florida	28 - Mississippi	48 - Texas
13 - Georgia	29 - Missouri	51 - Virginia
17 - Illinois	31 - Nebraska	53 - Washington
18 - Indiana	34 - New Jersey	54 - West Virginia
19 - Iowa	36 - New York	55 - Wisconsin
20 - Kansas	37 - North Carolina

• Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) - The full range of population and housing information collected in the ACS is available in the PUMS. For most questions asked on the questionnaire, the response is given in these files and the user can design tabulations to aggregate the responses. The 2006 PUMS will include records for the GQ population.

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