PSRC Data - CTPP Data

American Community Survey (ACS)

Introducing the American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey from the U.S. Census Bureau that replaces the decennial census "long form." The ACS collects demographic, social, economic and housing information from the U.S. population on a continuous basis, and publishes data annually instead of every 10 years.

ACS data will be released in stages:

Now available: 1-year estimates for areas with a population of 65,000 or more.
2008: 3-year estimates for areas with a population of 20,000 or more.
2010: 5-year estimates for areas with a population of less than 20,000, including census tracts and block groups.

Accessing and Using ACS Data
To learn more about the American Community Survey, visit the Census Bureau's ACS website.
To access and download ACS data products, go to the Census Bureau's American FactFinder data portal.

Data definitions and collection methods for the ACS differ from those used for the decennial census. These factors affect the accuracy of the ACS data and comparability with the 2000 Census.

An ACS Data Users Handbook is available to guide users in how to use and interpret the data.
The Census Bureau also offers a guide outlining comparability issues between the ACS and the 2000 Census.