The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S.
Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in
the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, educational
attainment, income, language proficiency, migration, disability,
employment, and housing characteristics. These data are used by many
public-sector, private-sector, and not-for-profit stakeholders to allocate
funding, track shifting demographics, plan for emergencies, and learn about
local communities. Sent to approximately 295,000 addresses monthly, it is the
largest survey other than the decennial census that the Census Bureau
administers. History
From the 1940 census through the 2000 census, a subset of all Americans
received a "long form" containing additional questions. Many Americans
found filling out the long form to be burdensome and intrusive, and its
unpopularity was a factor in the declining response rate to the decennial
census. In 1994, the Bureau began the process of changing the means of
obtaining the demographic, housing, social, and economic information from
the census long form to the ACS. Testing began in 1995, and the ACS program began
producing test data in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
The survey was fully implemented in 2005. The following year, the Census
Bureau released estimates for all areas with populations of 65,000 or more using
the data collected from January to December 2005. In 2010, the ACS produced
its first set of estimates for areas of all population sizes, using information
collected from January 2005 through December 2009.
The American Community Survey cites 13 U.S.C. § 141 and 13 U.S.C. § 193 as the
authority to request survey responses. In 2002, the GAO concluded that the
Bureau has authority to conduct the survey and "require responses from the
public." Implementation
The ACS has an initial sample of approximately 3.5 million housing unit
addresses and group quarters in the United States, with sample selected from
all counties and county-equivalents, American Indian and Alaska Native area,
and Hawaiian Homeland, and in Puerto Rico annually. Data are collected
primarily by mail, with follow-ups by telephone and personal visit.
Approximately one third of those who do not respond to the survey by mail or
telephone are randomly selected for in-person interviews, and the final
response rate for that group was 97.3 percent in 2012. Because approximately
two-thirds of mail/telephone nonrespondents are not selected for
in-person follow-up interviews, the ACS only includes approximately 2 million
final interviews per year. In 2012, completed ACS interviews represented
67.1 percent of the housing units initially selected for inclusion in the
sample. Like the decennial census, ACS responses
are confidential. Every employee at the Census Bureau takes an oath of
nondisclosure and is sworn for life to not disclose identifying information.
Violations can result in a a 5-year prison sentence and/or $250,000 fine.
Under 13 U.S.C. § 9, census responses are "immune from legal process" and may
not "be admitted as evidence or used for any purpose in any action, suit, or
other judicial or administrative proceeding."
Data availability The Census Bureau aggregates individual
ACS responses into estimates at many geographic summary levels. Among these
summary levels are legal/administrative entities such as states, counties,
cities, and congressional districts, as well as statistical entities such as
metropolitan statistical areas, tracts, block groups, and census designated
places. Estimates for census blocks are not available from ACS.
In order to balance geographic resolution, temporal frequency,
statistical significance, and respondent privacy, ACS estimates released each
year are aggregated from responses received in the previous one, three, or
five calendar years: 1-year estimates are available for areas
with a population of at least 65,000 people. For example, the 2013 ACS 1-year
estimates were released in 2014 and summarize responses received in 2013 for
all states but only the 26% of counties with 65,000 people or more. This is most
suitable for data users interested in shorter-term changes at medium to large
geographic scales. 3-year estimates were available for
areas with 20,000 people or more. For example, the 2013 ACS 3-year estimates
were released in 2014 and summarize responses received in 2011, 2012, and
2013 for all states but only the 59% of counties with 20,000 people or more.
This data product was discontinued in 2015 due to budget cuts, meaning the
last 3-year release is the 2011-2013 estimates.
5-year estimates are available for all areas down to the block group scale. For
example, the 2013 ACS 5-year estimates were released in 2014 and summarize
responses received in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 for all geographies. This
is most suitable for data users interested in longer-term changes at
small geographic scales. ACS estimates are available via a number
of online data tools. The American Fact Finder is the primary tool for
disseminating ACS data, allowing users to drill down to specific tables and
geographies. A selection of the most popular tables are shown in the
QuickFacts, Easy Stats, Census Explorer, and OnTheMap tools for 5-year estimates,
and My Congressional District for 1-year estimates. The Summary File is the most
detailed data source, and is available as a series of downloadable text files
or through an API for software developers.
Custom cross-tabulations of ACS questions can be made using the Public
Use Microdata Sample, freely accessible through Integrated Public Use Microdata
Series. PUMS data contain responses to every question from a sample of
respondents. To protect respondent privacy, PUMS data are anonymized and
only available down to areas containing 100,000 people or more known as Public
Use Microdata Areas. The analysis of all ACS microdata without the sampling and
anonymization in PUMS is restricted to qualified researchers at secure Federal
Statistical Research Data Centers. Opposition
The Department of Commerce has stated that those who receive a survey form are
legally obligated to respond to the ACS. Those who decline to complete the survey
may receive follow-up phone calls and/or visits to their homes from Census Bureau
personnel. 13 U.S.C. § 221 imposes a fine of not more than $100 for refusing
or willfully neglecting to questions posed by census takers and a fine of not
more than $500 for willfully providing false information.
To date, no person has ever been prosecuted for refusing to answer the
ACS. Former Director of the Census Bureau Kenneth Prewitt remarked that the
Department of Commerce is "not an enforcement agency" and that "the
Department of Justice would have to do the prosecution, and we don't recommend
that." The Census Bureau prefers to gain cooperation by convincing respondents of
the importance of participation, while acknowledging that the mandate improves
response rates and lowers the annual cost of survey administration by more
than $90 million. The survey asks for more information,
and at a higher frequency, than the simple enumeration required by U.S.
Constitution Article I Section 2. Despite the GAO's conclusion that the
Census Bureau has the authority to conduct the survey under 13 U.S.C. § 141
and 13 U.S.C. § 193, several U.S. representatives have challenged the ACS
as unauthorized by the Census Act and violative of the Right to Financial
Privacy Act. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who opposes the ACS, said of it that the
founding fathers of the United States "never authorized the federal government
to continuously survey the American people."
See also Survey of Income and Program
Participation Current Population Survey
National Household Survey, a similar survey that is a successor to the 2011
long-form Canadian census References
External links American Community Survey site at the
United States Census Bureau ACS data from the Integrated Public Use
Microdata Series American FactFinder - United States
Census Bureau's Searchable Database Access to all survey questionnaires used
from 1996 to 2011 American Community Survey User Guide for
Disability Statistics US Code Title 13
How to Legally Refuse to Participate in the Census Survey