American Community Survey

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an important yearly survey done by the United States Census Bureau. It collects many details about people in the United States, such as their backgrounds, education, jobs, and where they live. This information helps governments, businesses, and organizations make better decisions about things like funding and planning.

The survey reaches about 295,000 homes each month, or 3.5 million homes every year, making it the biggest household survey the Census Bureau runs. It collects data from all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., as well as Puerto Rico through a special survey called the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). However, it does not collect information from American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The data from the ACS is very useful because it shows how communities are changing and helps leaders plan for the future. None of the personal details from people who answer the survey are shared; the information is only used in general ways to understand whole groups.

History

Article I, Section II of the Constitution of the United States from 1787 says that every ten years, the government must count the population. Starting with the first United States Decennial Census in 1790, leaders wanted to collect more than just numbers. James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, suggested asking extra questions to help guide decisions for the community.

By 1940, the United States Census Bureau began asking some people extra questions to learn more without burdening everyone. Over time, these questions grew into a longer form known as the "long form." After the 1990 census, it became clear this long form was making it harder for people to respond. So, the Census Bureau created a new way to collect this information yearly, called the American Community Survey, which started in 2005. This replaced the long form and provides updates more often.

Implementation

The American Community Survey reaches about 3.5 million homes and places in the United States each year. The Census Bureau picks addresses at random, giving each one a small chance — about 1 in 480 — of being chosen each month. No address is picked more than once in five years. People can answer the survey online, by mail, on the phone, or by talking to someone in person. The questions are available in English and Spanish, and help is offered in other languages too. If someone doesn’t answer by mail or phone, about one-third of them are asked to talk in person. In the end, about 95 percent of households take part.

Just like the regular census every ten years, the information from the ACS is kept private. Everyone who works for the Census Bureau promises to keep names and details secret forever. If they break this promise, they could go to prison for up to five years and pay a big fine. The law says this information can’t be used in court or any other legal case.

Data availability

The Census Bureau collects answers from people and groups them into useful information for different places such as states, counties, cities, and more. This helps everyone know details about where they live.

Each year, the Census Bureau shares new information based on answers from the past year or the last five years. This helps keep the data fresh and accurate while protecting people's privacy. Different types of information are shared for different sizes of places, making it easier for everyone to find what they need.

Research studies

The Census Bureau does many research projects to make sure the American Community Survey gets better and better. These projects look at how to ask questions and collect information the right way.

People who study society use the ACS data to learn about how things are changing, check if the information is correct, and find new ways to understand the data.

Controversy

The American Community Survey gives important information that helps the government, businesses, and local areas make decisions. In 2008, this data helped guide how over $400 billion was shared among many programs. Courts have said the survey is allowed by law and does not break privacy rules.

Some people disagree, saying the survey asks for too much information too often. They think it goes beyond what the Constitution allows. Even though the survey is required by law, no one has been punished for not answering it. The Census Bureau works hard to get people to join by explaining why it matters. In 2014, many groups asked Congress to keep the survey required, saying that making it optional would cause many people to stop answering and lose important data.