American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau that is intended to provide detailed demographic data on an annual basis. This information was previously included in the Census “long form” only on a decennial basis. The annual ACS survey was initiated in 2000 as a limited pilot survey and has since expanded to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly, or 3 million households per year, to be expanded to 3.5 million addresses in 2012. The 2010 decennial Census no longer included a “long form” since it was replaced by the annual American Community Survey.
The survey provides information on:
- age
- sex
- race
- family and relationships
- income and benefits
- health insurance
- education
- veteran status
- disabilities
- where people work and how they get there
- where people live and how much they pay for some essentials
The Bureau has made available annual estimates since 2002 by different levels of geography. Since 2005 it has been providing data averages for three-year and five-year periods; the differences in these one, three, and five year reports are as follows:
Distinguishing features of ACS 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates
1-year estimates | 3-year estimates | 5-year estimates |
12 months of collected data | 36 months of collected data | 60 months of collected data |
Data for areas with populations of 65,000+ | Data for areas with populations of 20,000+ | Data for all areas including Census tracts and block groups |
Smallest sample size | Larger sample size than 1-year | Largest sample size |
Less reliable than 3-year or 5-year | More reliable than 1-year; less reliable than 5-year | Most reliable |
Most current data | Less current than 1-year estimates; more current than 5-year | Least current |
Best used when | Best used when | Best used when |
Currency is more important than precision Analyzing large populations | More precise than 1-year, more current than 5-year Analyzing smaller populations Examining smaller geographies because 1-year estimates are not available | Precision is more important than currency Analyzing very small populations Examining tracts and other smaller geographies because 1-year estimates are not available |
More detailed information about ACS
As noted on the American Community Survey’s home page above:
"The American Community Survey is vital to economic development and for wise government and business decision-making. The American Community Survey is an improvement over the census long form because it provides small-area information annually instead of once a decade." Joan Naymark, Director of Research and Planning for Target
Links to City of Minneapolis data
The ACS web site includes several summary data profiles by broad topic, as well as numerous detailed tables. As a convenience to those seeking citywide summary data, this site includes the available data profiles from the latest available one year, three year, and five year data releases. As the table above indicates, sub-city data [Census tracts and block groups] is available only in the five-year period estimates.
Latest annual estimate (2011) profiles
- Selected economic data profiles
- Selected housing data profiles
- Selected demographic data profiles
- Selected social data profiles
Latest three-year period estimate (2009-2011) profiles
- Selected economic data profiles
- Selected housing data profiles
- Selected demographic data profiles
- Selected social data profiles
Latest five-year period estimate (2007-2011) profiles
- Selected economic data profiles
- Selected housing data profiles
- Selected demographic data profiles
- Selected social data profiles
Last updated Mar. 6, 2013