| Basic Information |
| Dataset full name: |
American Community Survey |
| Dataset acronym |
ACS |
| Summary |
The ACS is a continuous data collection effort by the U.S. Census Bureau that is used to produce annual estimates at the national, state, and local level on the characteristics of the United States population. In 2005, the ACS began collecting information on an annual basis from approximately 3 million addresses in the United States. Since 2006, the ACS has included a 2.5 percent sample of the population living in group quarters and 36,000 addresses in Puerto Rico. In 2010, pooled years of the ACS replaced the decennial Census long form. |
| Key Terms |
Nationally Representative, Institutionalized Population, Census Bureau, Survey, Local Data |
| Study Design |
Cross-sectional |
| Data Type(s) |
Survey |
| Sponsoring Agency/Entity |
U.S. Census Bureau |
Health conditions/Disability measures |
| Health condition(s) |
NA |
| Disability Measures |
Visual disability, Hearing disability, Ambulatory disability, Cognitive disability, Self-care disability, Independent living disability, veterans service connected disability (and rating) |
Measures/outcomes of interest |
| Topics |
Employment, Income, Poverty, Occupation, SSA program participation, Housing characteristics, Transportation (commuting), Health insurance |
Sample |
| Sample Population |
Households, Institutionalized & Non-Institutionalized Group Quarters |
| Sample Size/Notes |
Annual Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) contains approximately 3 million person records (since 2005) |
| Unit of Observation |
Individual |
| Geographic Coverage |
National, and Puerto Rico |
| Geographic specificity |
National and state levels, some larger counties, Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs): 100,000 total population minimum |
Data Collection |
| Data Collection Mode |
Mail survey (self report) combined with non-respondent CATI follow-up and in-person interview follow-up of a sample of non-respondents |
| Years Collected |
2000 - present |
| Data Collection Frequency |
Annual |
Strengths and limitations |
| Strengths |
Current data, includes institutionalized population (2006 onward). Provides annual national, state, and some county level statistics |
| Limitations |
Disability questions changed in 2008- complete break from prior years. No specific health conditions. Response error issue in 2000-2002 (Go-outside home and Employment disability). Change in sampling in 2005 results in non-comparable data prior to 2005 |
Data details |
| Primary Website |
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html |
| Data Access |
http://www.factfinder.census.gov/home/en/acs_pums_2009_1yr.html |
| Data Access Requirements |
Public Use Dataset |
| Summary Tables/reports |
http://factfinder.census.gov |
| Dataset components (where applicable) |
NA |
Selected papers |
| Technical |
Disability Among the Working Age Population: 2008 and 2009, American Community Survey Briefs |
| Other Papers |
|
