Category Archives: U.S. Census Bureau

The US Census and The Super Bowl!

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Super Bowl XLV

Super Bowl XLV will be played Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, midway between Dallas and Fort Worth. To commemorate this occasion, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of facts examining the demographics of the host city, as well as the cities represented by the contenders, in this year’s edition of our nation’s most celebrated sporting event.

Green Bay, Wis. (Packers)

Unless otherwise indicated, the data come from the 2009 American Community Survey.

268th

Where Green Bay, Wis., ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous cities. The estimated population of Green Bay on July 1, 2009, was 101,412. Green Bay gained 527 people from July 1, 2008, to July 1, 2009. Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2009.html>

19%

Percentage of Green Bay residents 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2009; 85 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 28 percent and 85 percent. The percentage in Green Bay who have graduated from high school did not differ significantly from the percentage for Arlington.

18 minutes

Average amount of time it took Green Bay residents to get to work. Seventy-eight percent of the city’s workers drove to work alone, 8 percent carpooled and 1 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took workers an average of 25 minutes to get to work. The percentage of Green Bay workers who drove to work alone and the percentage taking public transportation were not statistically different from the respective percentages for Arlington. The percentage of Green Bay workers carpooling was not statistically different from the percentage for Pittsburgh.

14%

Percentage of Green Bay residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 20 percent.
Source: 2007-2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

$40,857

Median household income for Green Bay. The national median was $50,221. The figure for Green Bay was not statistically different from that for Pittsburgh.

$129,800

Median home value of owner-occupied homes in Green Bay. The national median was $185,200. The figure for Green Bay did not differ statistically from that for Arlington.

Pittsburgh (Steelers)

Unless otherwise indicated, the data come from the 2009 American Community Survey.

61st

Where Pittsburgh ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous cities. The estimated population of Pittsburgh on July 1, 2009, was 311,647. Pittsburgh lost 472 people from July 1, 2008, to July 1, 2009.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2009.html>

33%

Percentage of Pittsburgh residents 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2009; 89 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 28 percent and 85 percent.

22 minutes

Average amount of time it took Pittsburgh residents to get to work. Fifty-four percent of the city’s workers drove to work alone, 10 percent carpooled and 19 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took workers an average of 25 minutes to get to work. The percentage of Pittsburgh residents who carpooled did not differ statistically from the percentage for either Arlington or Green Bay.

10%

Percentage of Pittsburgh residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 20 percent.

$37,461

Median household income for Pittsburgh. The national median was $50,221. The figure for Pittsburgh did not differ statistically from Green Bay.

$92,500

Median home value of owner-occupied homes in Pittsburgh. The national median was $185,200.

Arlington, Texas (host city)

Unless otherwise indicated, the data come from the 2009 American Community Survey.

49th

Where Arlington ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous cities. The estimated population of Arlington on July 1, 2009, was 380,085. Arlington gained 5,292 people from July 1, 2008, to July 1, 2009. Arlington is more populous than several cities with NFL franchises, including St. Louis, New Orleans, Tampa, Fla., Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/SUB-EST2009.html>.

28%

Percentage of Arlington residents 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2009; 83 percent had at least graduated from high school. The respective national figures were 28 percent and 85 percent. The percentage in Arlington who graduated from high school did not differ statistically from Green Bay.

26 minutes

Average amount of time it took Arlington residents to get to work, not statistically different from the national figure. Eighty-one percent of the city’s workers drove to work alone, 12 percent carpooled and less than 1 percent took public transportation. Nationally, it took workers an average of 25 minutes to get to work. The percentages in Arlington who drove to work alone and took public transportation did not differ statistically from the respective percentages for Green Bay. The percentage carpooling in Arlington did not differ statistically from that for Pittsburgh.

34%

Percentage of Arlington residents 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home. The national average was 20 percent.

$50,938

Median household income for Arlington, not statistically different from the national median, which was $50,221.

$132,200

Median home value of owner-occupied homes in Arlington. The national median was $185,200. The figure for Arlington did not differ statistically from that for Green Bay.
Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:
  • African-American History Month (February)
  • Super Bowl
  • Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14)
  • Women’s History Month (March)
  • Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/
          St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
  • Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
  • Older Americans Month (May)
  • Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
  • Mother’s Day
  • Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
  • Father’s Day
  • The Fourth of July (July 4)
  • Back to School (August)
  • Labor Day
  • Grandparents Day
  • Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
  • Unmarried and Single Americans Week
  • Halloween (Oct. 31)
  • American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
  • Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • The Holiday Season (December)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <PIO@census.gov>.

Spring 2011 Workshops

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The Map and Geographic Information Center and the Connecticut State Data Center have teamed up with various partners to offer a series of workshops for the Spring Semester. Included below is a listing of workshops available that are free for faculty, staff, students, and the public to attend. Be sure to register quickly as these workshops fill up fast.

GIS for Social Sciences: Introduction

Are you interested in learning how to harness the power of GIS software to create maps using social science data? This workshop will provide participants with an overview of using ESRI’s ArcGIS software, locating boundary files, joining datasets, and creating a map based on social science data.

This workshop is sponsored by the Center for Population Research.

Friday 02/11/11 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM [Register for this workshop]

OR

Friday 02/11/11 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM [Register for this workshop]

GIS for Social Sciences: Advanced

Are you interested in converting your social sciences data from data to a dynamic display of charts and maps? This workshop provides participants a hands-on experience with mapping social sciences data, reprojecting data, exploring spatial data analysis tools, and creating a map for use in a presentation, publication, or in class.

This workshop is sponsored by the Center for Population Research.

Friday 02/25/11 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM [Register for this workshop]

OR

Friday 02/25/11 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM [Register for this workshop]

The Status of Hispanic Americans in the first decade of the 21st Century

With the conclusion of the decennial US Census, new data about the Hispanic American population in the United States will be released in the coming months. This workshop aims to teach attendees how to access and utilize the wealth of information available from the US Census website. Participants will also explore the American Community Survey (an annual survey that tracks such variables such as Education, Employment, Language, Origins, Race and Ethnicity, etc.). The workshop will also highlight the differences between the decennial and the American Community Survey, explore statistical data and mapping tools for using Census data to help us determine the status of Hispanic Americans in the first decade of this new century. Space is limited so sign up now!

This workshop is sponsored by the Institute of Puerto Rican and Latinos Studies (PRLS), and ALFAS (Association of Latino/a Faculty and Staff), and the UConn Libraries.

Friday 04/01/11 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM [Register for this workshop]

OR

Friday 04/13/11 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM [Register for this workshop]

US Census – New American FactFinder Released

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“Simpler Path to 2010 Census Data,” Census Bureau Director Groves Says

American FactFinder Undergoes Major Upgrade

     The U.S. Census Bureau debuts a reinvented American FactFinder today, making online access to 2010 Census data — and many more statistics — easier than ever
     The new American FactFinder offers a fresh look, new tools and easier access to a wide range of Census Bureau statistics. Online today, you will find population estimates for 2008 and earlier years and findings from the 2000 Census. When fully implemented, the new FactFinder is projected to have about 250 billion data cells in more than 40,000 tables.
    “Our goal is to give users a simpler path to 2010 Census data,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. “With this new and improved incarnation of the American FactFinder, the American people will be able to really understand the value of their participation and learn from it.”
    The 2010 Census form was one of the shortest in our lifetime, asking just 10 questions and taking about 10 minutes to complete. After conducting a census intended to be so easy for every household, the next step was making the results easy to access.
    “By April 1, the American people will have 2010 Census data for more than 9 million census blocks and more than 74,000 census tracts across the country right at their fingertips,” Groves said.
    The launch of this revamped tool was timed for the release, starting in February, of local-level 2010 Census data on race, Hispanic origin and the voting-age population that state governments use to redraw the boundaries of their congressional and state legislative districts. Eventually, it will also be the primary means of accessing data from other major data sets, such as the American Community Survey, the economic census and population estimates.
    Users should note that American Community Survey, 2007 Economic Census and other economic survey data are not in the new version of American FactFinder at the present. These data sets can be accessed from the American FactFinder homepage and will be loaded to the new American FactFinder during the coming year.
    The Census Bureau plans to run the new and old versions of American FactFinder in parallel until fall 2011. You can access 2009 American Community Survey and 2007 Economic Census data from the old system until the conversion has been made.
    Among the enhanced features and functions of the new version are:
  • A more robust, powerful search engine, making searches for statistics simpler and more topic-driven. Users can select predefined topics, geographies, population groups or industry codes and then quickly obtain search results, including tables to view or download.
  • Enhanced table manipulation features, allowing users to quickly modify a table, permitting them to show or hide rows or columns, collapse or expand groups of data in the table, rearrange the rows and columns, sort rows in ascending and descending order, and filter rows of a table.
  • Advanced mapping capabilities, permitting users to see geographic patterns in the data by viewing the data on a map, manipulating the map with a zoom tool and personalizing the map by changing colors, displaying boundaries and features, and adding points or text to the map.
  • Enhanced address search functions, allowing users to enter a street address and see all the data available for that area.

Now Available: 2007-2009 American Community Survey (ACS) 3-Year Estimates

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This release covers the same topics included in the previously released 2009 ACS 1-year estimates and the 2005-2009 ACS 5-year estimates. The 2007-2009 ACS estimates have a 3-year time frame and are only available for areas with populations of 20,000 or more (unlike the 5-year estimates, which are available for all areas). The more than 70 topics covered include occupation, educational attainment, commute to work, foreign-born population, language spoken at home, ancestry, number of vehicles available, housing costs, income and poverty. 


Follow this link to the ACS Data Page of the American Factfinder.


Follow this link for the original news bulletin from the U.S. Census Bureau

Newsroom: Poverty: Census Bureau Releases Research on the Supplemental Poverty Measure

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Newsroom: Poverty: Census Bureau Releases Research on the Supplemental Poverty Measure

The Census Bureau is releasing the research paper, Who is Poor? A New Look With the Supplemental Poverty Measure, plus a number of other technical working papers on the topic. The research paper applies methodology recommended by a federal interagency technical working group to present supplemental poverty estimates. The supplemental poverty measure is based on a more comprehensive definition of poverty and provides an additional look at the impact of federal policies on those in or near poverty. These estimates do not represent the actual supplemental poverty measure because they use 2009 income data combined with 2008 poverty thresholds. Also, these estimates do not replace the official poverty measure released by the Census Bureau in September 2010. Internet address: http://www.census.gov/hhes/povmeas/methodology/supplemental/research.html

First 2010 Census Results – Population by State

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The first population data from the 2010 Census data has been released which provides population by state data. This data is critical to the apportionment process, where the 435 seats within the United State House of Representatives are divided among the 50 states to provide equal representation, based on population. Based upon the 2010 Census Population data, the following map generated by the US Census Bureau provides a national picture of the number of congressional seats gained, lost, or unchanged for each state.

Connecticut Data
Based upon the 2010 Census data released on December 21, 2010, Connecticut’s population as of April 1, 2010 was 3,574,097 an increase of 4.9% from April 1, 2000 (3,405,565). Utilizing this data, the number of representatives for Connecticut in the House of Representatives will remain steady at 5 representatives.
National Data Highlights
While the number of representatives from Connecticut will remain steady, other states will experience gains/losses in the number of representatives provided by their state in the House of Representatives. Included below is a quick listing of states that gained and lost seats:

State Seats State Seats
Arizona +1 Illinois -1
Florida +2 Iowa -1
Georgia +1 Louisiana -1
Nevada +1 Massachusetts -1
South Carolina +1 Michigan -1
Texas +4 Missouri -1
Utah +1 New Jersey -1
Washington +1 New York -2
Ohio -2
Pennsylvania -1
To view each dataset released on December 21, 2010 by the United States Census Bureau click the following links:

Table 1. Apportionment Population and Number of Representatives, by State: 2010 Census [ Excel | PDF ]
Table 2. Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2010 Census [ Excel| PDF ]
Table 3. Overseas Population of the 50 States and the District of Columbia: 2010 Census [ Excel | PDF ]
Table 4: Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2010 Census and Census 2000 [ Excel | PDF ]
Table 5: Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 2010 Census and Census 2000 [ Excel | PDF ]
What is Apportionment?
To learn more about the apportionment process, view the following video produced by the U.S. Census bureau:




Want to learn more about how the population has changed by state over time? The following interactive map includes population change, population density, and apportionment data from 1910 to 2010 by state. This interactive map provides a streamlined visualization of changes in population distribution throughout the United States over time.



U.S. Census Bureau Releases First Set of 5-Year American Community Survey Estimates

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From the US Census Newsroom:

New Estimates Provide Detailed Look at Every Community in the United States

The U.S. Census Bureau today released 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates for the first time, making available social, economic, housing and demographic statistics for every community in the nation.
Up until now, small geographic areas had to rely on outdated 2000 Census figures for detailed information about the characteristics of their communities. Consisting of about 11.1 billion individual estimates and covering more than 670,000 distinct geographies, the 5-year ACS estimates give even the smallest communities more timely information on topics ranging from commute times to languages spoken at home to housing values.
“The ACS represents the first time such a massive compilation of data estimates for small geographic areas is available,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. “These estimates deliver on our commitment to Congress to provide timely statistics on our communities and our economy, allowing for a more efficient government.”
The data released today are based on a rolling annual sample survey mailed to about 3 million addresses between Jan. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2009. By pooling several years of survey responses, the ACS can generate detailed statistical portraits of smaller geographies. The Census Bureau will release a new set of 5-year estimates every year, giving these communities a powerful tool to track local trends over time.
Public officials, including mayors and governors, and private organizations such as chambers of commerce, rely on ACS estimates on education, housing, jobs, veteran status and commuting patterns to help them make informed decisions that will affect their community, such as where to build new schools, hospitals and emergency services.
“The data provided through the ACS provide a statistical foundation to evaluate our nation’s needs, and we now share them with communities across the country as a powerful resource for decision making,” Groves said.
The new 2005-2009 ACS estimates are not related to the 2010 Census population counts that will be released Dec. 21. The ACS complements the decennial count and provides estimates of population characteristics that are far more detailed than the basic demographic information that will be released from the 2010 Census, which will be available starting in February.
As a complete count of the population, the 2010 Census data are critical for knowing how many people live in the United States, where they live and their basic demographic information such as race, sex and Hispanic origin. The ACS estimates, on the other hand, are based on a sample survey of the nation and are intended to describe the characteristics of the U.S. population, not to provide population counts.
Before the ACS, estimates about characteristics were only produced once every 10 years through tabulations of responses to the decennial census “long form” sent to a subset of the nation’s addresses. Those estimates required two years to tabulate and provided an increasingly outdated picture of the country. By the end of any given decade, decision and policy makers often had to rely on 10-year-old data.
Given the critical role that these long form estimates played in national and local decision making, the Census Bureau responded by developing a continuous measurement concept that would provide more timely data. Approval by Congress helped turn the Census Bureau’s innovation into the American Community Survey.
For areas with populations of 65,000 or more ― covering 6,600 separate geographies ― the Census Bureau has produced 1-year ACS estimates every year since 2005. The latest estimates from 2009 were released Sept. 28 (http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb10-cn78.html)>. These areas require only one year of survey responses to produce reliable estimates.
Because it is a survey based on a sample of the population rather than the entire population, the ACS (like the census long form it replaces) produces estimates, not actual counts. To aid data users, the Census Bureau calculates and publishes a margin of error for every ACS estimate it produces, a step not taken for estimates from the 2000 Census long form. However, the technical documentation provided with Census 2000 Summary File 3 does contain the information needed to calculate a margin of error for those published estimates.
ACS 5-year estimates on 72 topics can be downloaded for more than 670,000 geographic areas, including states, counties, cities, tribal areas and more. Seehttp://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/2009_release/GeographiesbyDataProduct2005_2009_5Year.xls [Excel, 34kb] for more information on geographies.
As an illustration of the kinds of information provided in these new ACS 5-year estimates, below are some examples of available statistics derived from the tables at the county level.
For the full Press Release  please use the following link:
Of note are some maps the US Census has compiled, click on the image to download the original PDF: