Census > ACS Main > About the ACS > Survey Definition |
Question: What is the American Community Survey?The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey that produces important statistics about our nation's people and housing. It covers the same type of detailed information previously collected every 10 years from the decennial census long form questionnaire. This eliminates the need for a separate long form in the 2010 Census. ACS data are collected continuously throughout the year and throughout the decade. Initially, five years of sample will be required to produce small-area data (populations of less than 20,000). Once the Census Bureau has collected and released five years of data, the small-area data will be updated every year thereafter. The Census Bureau also will produce three-year and one-year data products annually for larger geographic areas. The ACS includes people living in both housing units (HUs) and group quarters (GQs) and is conducted throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). |
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