The American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the United States Census Bureau provides estimates of the characteristics of the population over a specific time period. The ACS collects data from the 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey. It is a continuous survey, in which each month a sample of housing unit addresses receives a questionnaire, with approximately three million addresses surveyed each year. Each year the survey produces data pooled to produce 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates for geographic areas in the United States and Puerto Rico, ranging from neighborhoods to congressional districts to the entire nation. Data for each release of the 5-year estimates were collected over a 5-year period ending December 31 of the reference year (e.g., data in the 2014-2018 5-year estimates were collected January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2018). The statistics reported represent the characteristics of the population for the entire period vs. a specific year within that period.
The 5-year estimates are published for areas with populations of all sizes and are the most reliable and precise of the ACS period estimates as well as the most comprehensive, albeit the least current. (The 1-year and 3-year estimates provide data on areas with populations of 65,000+ and 20,000+, respectively. Note that the ACS 3-year estimates were discontinued with the 2011-2013 release.) The ACS estimates provide information about the social and economic needs of communities and are used to help determine how more than $400 billion in federal and state funds are distributed each year. It is conducted under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 193. Note that counts of the population are provided by the Census of Population and Housing conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau every 10 years; and official estimates of the population are derived from the previous census and from the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey. Accessed May 25, 2020, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation/summary-file-documentation.html.
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The 500+ individual datasets that make up the American Community Survey contain over 21,000 sociodemographic indicators. Estimates are available for nations, states, counties, census tracts, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, place, and block groups, resulting in hundreds of thousands of data points. Data Planet allows you to view estimates separately by indicator and geography and to compare and contrast estimates across geographies. You can also compare the indicators with indicators in other datasets that you find in the repository.
The Data Planet repository holds the 5-year estimates for releases since the 2010 U.S. Census of Population and Housing. Currently available is the 2021 release, covering the period January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2020, as well as the five prior releases.
Remember This! The estimates represent data collected over the entire 5-year period covered by the survey, not to a specific point of time within that period.
The Data Planet platform provides options to both browse and search for indicators by category and subject.
To browse the available American Community Survey, 5-year estimates, select the dataset in the "Subject" → "Population and Income" listing, or select it in the "United States Census Bureau" entry in the "Source" tab as shown in this screen grab:
Open up a listing of interest in the indicator tree and review the indicators. The titles below in the "Education" subject category give a sense of the granularity of the data:
Those familiar with the ACS may prefer to use the search box and do a precise search by ACS table number.
Alternatively, do a search on "American Community Survey" to retrieve a listing of the ACS indicators. Select "Show All Results" and filter by ACS release, geography, and subjects to narrow your results set.
From the results set, you can link directly from a record back into the repository to view the data and chart selected.
Create maps, trends, rankings of the indicators using the options in the tool bar. The chart below compares the number of native-born, foreign-born naturalized, and noncitizen Hispanic or Latino males over age 18 in three states:
Create maps of the data by selecting the Map icon in the tool bar above the chart. Below find a map of Mississippi counties by numbers of persons ages 19-64 living with a disability that do not have health insurance coverage:
Below the chart on the right, you will see either a DOI or an option to "Create DOI link." The DOI (Digital Object Identifier) ensures you'll be able to retrieve an exact view of the data at the time it was created. For more on DOIs, visit the page on it.
From the chart, you can download the download the data, export a DataSheet with a statistical abstract describing the indicator, export to a reference manager, or further manipulate the data.
