The American community survey: a bevy of information.

• Author: Sylvester, James T.
• Position: Survey

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How rich or poor are Americans? Where do they work and what training do they have for their jobs? What languages do they speak? Do they have health insurance? How many vehicles do they own? Do they have laptops and/or smart phones? Do they use wood or gas to heat their homes?

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey administered by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides data every year--giving communities the current information they need to plan investments and services.

The Census Bureau polls a random sample of about 3 million American households about demographics, habits, languages spoken, occupation, housing, and various other categories. The results offer current demographic portraits of counties and communities throughout the the U.S. The federal government uses the survey to divvy up more than $400 billion in annual funding to states and localities for roads, education, health care, and other programs. In addition, private companies, particularly retailers, use it to decide where to locate stores and what to put on their shelves.

The American Community Survey replaced the long-form questions asked in the census prior to 2010. Analysts now have data available annually instead of every 10 years. This frequency allows for investigations into how society is changing demographically. However, the ACS is currently under attack from members of Congress who find the questions...