First Vintage 2011 ACS Data To Be Released
The Census Bureau is planning to release the first wave of new American Community Survey data on September 20. These data
will summarize the results of the surveys administered during the 2011 calendar year. The September 20 data release will be only for
geographic areas with a population of at least 65,000; the 3-year period estimates (2009-2011) due out in October will be for geographic areas with a population of at least 20,000, and the 5-year period estimates data (2007-2011) are due out in December. The December release will include data for all geographic areas, regardless of population size, and will include summaries for ZCTAs (ZIP code tabulation areas) for the first time in the ACS. The MCDC has calculated estimates of 2006-2010 period estimates for ZCTAs -- see our What's New entry for March of this year -- but we look forward to having the more current, more detailed and official estimates with margin of error measures included. All these data will initially be accessible via the Census Bureau's American FactFinder2 web application.
The Missouri Census Data Center will be downloading the data and creating the usual complete-table and custom-extract datasets in a new acs2011 data directory within our data archive. We'll be updating our ACS Profile and ACS Trends web applications to provide access to the new MCDC standard extract data for most geographic levels.
New and Improved ZCTA Master Data Set
One of the niche specialties of the MCDC for many years has been assisting users interested in utilizing U.S. ZIP code geography for various data applications. This typically means providing information regarding the Census Bureau's ZCTA (ZIP Code Tabulation Area) ZIP code proxy areas. These codes get updated for each decennial census and, unlike their corresponding ZIP code namesakes, never change during the decade. We have been updating a number of data files and geographic tools (for example, the recently released version of geocorr12 that lets users see the relationship of the 2010 ZCTAs with all the other 2010 Census Bureau geographic entities). We have now created a new resource tool
which combines information from four different sources regarding the 2010 ZCTAs into a single source master data set. Located within the georef data directory
(see the Geography/GIS section of the archive directory page) the new zcta_master data set contains over 33,000 rows/observations corresponding to the approximately 33,000 5-digit
ZCTAs defined by the Census Bureau for reporting their data. In addition to the standard metadata page for the set (linked to from the dexter page when you access the data set) there is a special zcta_master.Metadata.html page which describes the variables provided on the data set. These include, among other things, the county(s), place(s), metro area(s), PUMAs, and urban areas that contain or intersect the ZCTA (with percentage variables to indicate what portion of the ZCTA's 2010 population was contained in the intersecting geographies). Also included are a series of demographic indicators taken from the latest available American Community Survey data, including items such as Median Age, Percent Poor, Median Housing Value and Percent living in group quarters. We also include a PctUrban variable (not an ACS-based item but based on 2010 census counts using the new urbran/rural definitions only released this summer). An "Alternate ZIPs" variable is a string containing up to 12 ZIP code values indicating USPS ZIP codes that are located within the ZIP code corresponding to the ZCTA.
Some users will recognize that the idea of a ZCTA Master data set is nothing new, that we have had such a data set out there for at least a decade. We still have a ZCTA Master data set providing comparable information related to the 2000 vintage ZCTAs which we have renamed as zcta_master07. The new version contains a lot more information than the previous version did.
A paragraph describing and linking to this new resource is contained within our All About ZIP Codes: 2010 Supplement page where we provide information regarding all the new resources being made available specifically for the new 2010 ZIP/ZCTA geographic areas.
New Data Set Reports Components of Pop Change Between Censuses
Dexter users can access a new data set, uscom00_10 in our popests data directory, that provides a breakdown of components of population change over the period 4-1-00 to 4-1-10. We get this data from the Bureau's post-censal estimates every year except in years following a census. We did not get a set of population estimates with components of change between 2000 and 2010 in calendar year 2011. So this leaves a little hole in the time series for those wanting to look at what the components of change were over the decade. We have the Bureau's best guess through 7-1-09 but then nothing for the period ending 4-1-10, and nothing (with components) updated to reflect the results of the 2010 census.
Using this data set with our Dexter/rankster web applications we have generated this report showing the 50 counties in the U.S. with the largest net outmigration figures over the decade.
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