The Who, What, and Where of America: Understanding the American Community Survey (County and City Extra Series) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1598887092 ISBN 13: 9781598887099

Publisher: Bernan Press, 2014

Synopsis

The Who, What, and Where of America Understanding the American Community Survey Part of Bernan Press's County and City Extra Series In the fall of 2013, the Census Bureau released data from the American Community Survey (ACS) one-year (2012) and three-year (2010-2012) estimates for the United States. The ACS replaced the decennial census long form in 2010 and now collects long-form-type information on a continuing basis rather than every 10 years, providing more current data. The ACS provides a regular stream of updated information for states and local areas and has revolutionized the way we use data to understand our communities. It produces social, housing, and economic characteristics for demographic groups.

About this title

Review

Like the decennial census, the American Community Survey (ACS ) is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. While the decennial census provides the official counts of people for congressional apportionment, the ACS measures the changing social and economic characteristics of the U.S. population. The ACS provides annual data for states, metropolitan statistical areas, and large cities as plus three-year data for mid-size communities. This volume reports social and economic changes in the U.S. since the 2010 census. The data are divided into three parts titled 'Who, ' 'What, ' and 'Where.' Under 'Who' we find statistics as to age, race/ethnicity, and household structure (e.g., married, living alone). Under 'What' we find tables on education, employment, and income. Under 'Where' we find information on migration, housing, and transportation. Each part is prefaced with text highlighting significant findings and ranking tables showing state divergences from the national norm. The statistical tables are organized by states, counties, MSAs, and populations of 20,000 or more. There are also Web resources to dig deeper into the data and to understand the collection methodology. The appendixes include a glossary and definitions of the terms used in the survey instrument. The value of the ACS is the ability to compare data from different geographic areas within the same time frame. As an example of the richness of the resource, we can see how many people have moved recently and where they moved to. Nationally 85 percent of Americans lived in the same home they did one year ago. Of those who did move, 5.2 percent stayed in the same city, 4.3 percent left that city but stayed in the same county, 3.1 percent moved to a different county in the same state, and 2.2 percent moved to a different state. Nevada had the highest proportion of movers (22.8 percent) and New Jersey the lowest at (9.6 percent). This reference is helpful for crafting business plans, determining expansion strategies, as well as for public policy discussions.--American Reference Books Annual

Although the aim of the U.S. Census is to count people, the American Community Survey (ACS) aims to drill down to the characteristics of those people. This reference source highlights and offers general information from the ACS and offer comparisons of statistics across time periods and geographic areas. Narrative sections give users a sense of what the ACS entails as well as an overview of 'Who: Age, Race/Ethnicity, and Households'; 'What: Education, Employment, and Income'; and 'Where: Migration, Housing, and Transportation.' The tables in each section are basic and easy to use. There is information included on the sources of the statistics as well as on the ACS itself. This would be a useful resource for libraries that find themselves in need of population information.--Booklist

About the Author

Deirdre A. Gaquin has been a data use consultant to private organizations, government agencies, and universities for more than 30 years. Prior to that, she was Director of Data Access Services at Data Use & Access Laboratories, a pioneer in private sector distribution of federal statistical data. A former President of the Association of Public Data Users, Ms. Gaquin has served on numerous boards, panels, and task forces concerned with federal statistical data and has worked on five decennial censuses. She holds a Master of Urban Planning (MUP) degree from Hunter College. Ms. Gaquin is also an editor of Bernan Press's County and City Extra, The Who, What, and Where of America: Understanding the Census Results; Places, Towns and Townships; The Congressional District Atlas; The Almanac of American Education; State and Metropolitan Area Data Book; and Race and Employment in America. Gwenavere W. Dunn is a research editor with Bernan Press. She holds a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from Trinity Washington University. She is a former senior editor with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and was managing editor of the Board's Federal Reserve Bulletin. At Bernan, she is the editor of Crime in the United States and Employment, Hours, and Earnings; and assistant editor of Race and Employment in America, the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book; and the Almanac of American Education.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bernan Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1598887092
• ISBN 13: 9781598887099
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 400
• Editor: Gaquin Deirdre A., Dunn Gwenavere W.