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NIH
U.S. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute

Population Characteristics

Geographic areas were selected for inclusion in the SEER Program based on their ability to operate and maintain a high quality population-based cancer reporting system and for their epidemiologically significant population subgroups.

Number of Persons by Race and Hispanic Ethnicity for SEER Participants (2000 Census Data)

Characteristics of the SEER Population Compared with the Total United States Population

The population covered by SEER is comparable to the general US population with regard to measures of poverty and education. The SEER population tends to be somewhat more urban and has a higher proportion of foreign-born persons than the general US population.

Bar graph comparing four characteristics of the SEER and total US populations.

* The data source for these statistics is the 2000 US Census. SEER areas included in this figure are the States of Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah; multi-country areas of Atlanta & rural Georgia, Detroit, San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle-Puget Sound, San Jose-Monterey, Los Angeles county, remaining counties of California; and American Indians/Alaska Natives in Arizona and Alaska.