John Thompson confirmed as new Census Bureau director

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Steve Batt

From the Census Bureau:

The United States Senate confirmed John H. Thompson on August 1 as the new director of the U.S. Census Bureau by unanimous consent. Thompson, who was nominated by President Obama on May 23, 2013 has been an executive at the National Opinion Research Center for the past 11 years, serving as president and CEO since 2008.
Before joining NORC at the University of Chicago, Thompson was a Census Bureau employee from 1975 to 2002 and oversaw the 2000 Census. He succeeds Robert Groves, who left office in August 2012 to become provost of Georgetown University. Following the departure of Groves, former Deputy Director Thomas L. Mesenbourg served as Acting Director. Mesenbourg had previously announced his long-planned retirement, which is effective August 2.

As Census Bureau Director, Thompson will oversee the nearly 180 surveys the Census Bureau conducts annually. He takes office at a critical juncture in the planning process for the 2020 Census, as the agency begins researching and testing new and more cost-effective methods that potentially will save billions of dollars.

“I congratulate John Thompson on his confirmation as director of the U.S. Census Bureau, and thank the U.S. Senate for confirming him quickly. Given his previous roles at the Census Bureau beginning in the 1970s, I have full confidence that Mr. Thompson will be a tremendous leader of one of the nation’s premier statistical agencies,” said Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

“The Census Bureau produces a wealth of data that are critical to America’s public and private sector leaders as they make decisions about economic development that will create jobs. I am committed to ensuring that the Census Bureau has the resources it needs to continue supplying essential data to businesses and government leaders. I look forward to working with John Thompson and his team as they undertake the years of preparations required for a successful 2020 Census and continue to develop innovative ways to produce and distribute vital information,” added Secretary Pritzker.

“It’s a tremendous honor and privilege to return to public service as the Director of the Census Bureau, one of the most important organizations in the federal statistical system, as well as a place that holds warm memories for me,” said Thompson. “As America forges its data-driven future, the Census Bureau must lead the way by tracking emerging trends, developing more efficient processes and embracing new technologies for planning and executing the 2020 Census and its other surveys that are so important to the nation. As Director, I will use all of my skills, intellect and experience to foster a culture of innovation and adaptability that allows the Census Bureau to serve the public’s needs and meet the challenges of this dynamic new environment.”

Thompson participated on 2010 Census design and review panels sponsored by the Committee on National Statistics. He is also an elected fellow of the American Statistical Association, and has been elected to serve a three-year term as a member of the Committee on National Statistics at the National Academies of Science. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from Virginia Tech.

Facts for Features: Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act – July 26th

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Steve Batt

This day marks the 23rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.

Population Distribution

56.7 million

Number of people with a disability living in the United States in 2010. They represented 19 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. Disabilities include, for instance, having difficulty seeing, hearing, having speech understood, walking, bathing, dressing, eating, preparing meals, going outside the home, or doing housework, having Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, cerebral palsy, or dyslexia, and being frequently depressed or anxious.

By age —

8 percent of children under 15 had disabilities.
21 percent of people 15 and older had disabilities.
17 percent of people 21 to 64 had disabilities.
50 percent of adults 65 and older had disabilities.

Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010 <www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

20%

Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 17 percent of males.
Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010 <www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

Where They Live

19%

Percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population in West Virginia with a disability ─ the highest rate of any state in the nation. Utah, at 9 percent, had the lowest rate.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey, Table R1810 <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/R1810.US01PRF>

Specific Disabilities

7.6 million

Number of people 15 and older who had a hearing difficulty. Among people 65 and older, 4 million had difficulty hearing.
Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010 <www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

8.1 million

Number of people 15 and older with a vision difficulty.
Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010 <www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

30.6 million

Number of people 15 and older who had difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010 <www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

3.6 million

Number of people 15 and older who used a wheelchair to assist with mobility. This compares with 11.6 million people who used a cane, crutches or walker.
Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010 <www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

2.4 million

Number of people 15 and older who had Alzheimer’s disease, senility or dementia.
Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010
<www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

12.0 million

Number of people 15 and older who required the assistance of others in order to perform one or more activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, doing housework, and preparing meals.
Source: Americans with Disabilities: 2010 <www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>

On the Job

33%

Percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population 18 to 64 with a disability who were employed.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey, Table B18120 <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B18120>

53%

Percentage of the civilian labor force with a disability who worked as either service workers (except protective services), with 18.2 percent, administrative support (15.1 percent), sales workers (10.4 percent) and management, business and finance (8.9 percent).
Source: Disability Employment Tabulation, from 2008-2010 American Community Survey,
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-47.html>

315,000

The number of janitors and building cleaners with a disability ─ the most common occupation for people with disabilities. Among occupations with 100,000 or more people, dishwashers had the highest disability rate, with 14.3 percent.
Source: Disability Employment Tabulation, from 2008-2010 American Community Survey,
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-47.html>

Earnings and Poverty

$19,735

Median earnings in the past 12 months for people with a disability. This compares with $30,285 for those without a disability.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey, Table B18140
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B18140>

323,000

Number of employed people with disabilities earning $100,000 or more annually. This amounts to 4 percent of all people with disabilities who were employed, compared with 8 percent of people without a disability who were employed.
Source: Disability Employment Tabulation, from 2008-2010 American Community Survey, Table Set 7A
<http://www.census.gov/people/disabilityemptab/data/>

23%

Percentage of people with a disability who were in poverty. By comparison, those without a disability had a poverty rate of 15 percent.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey, Table B18130
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B18130>

Government Assistance

30%

Among people who received income-based government assistance, the percentage who had a disability; 18 percent of assistance recipients had difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Source: Disability Characteristics of Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients in the United States: 2011 (from American Community Survey)
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-33.html>

57%

Percentage of assistance recipients with a disability who received only in-kind assistance. By comparison, 2 percent received cash assistance only and 41 percent received both kinds.
Source: Disability Characteristics of Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients in the United States: 2011 (from American Community Survey)
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-12.pdf>

58%

Among people who received both cash and in-kind assistance, the percentage who had a disability.
Source: Disability Characteristics of Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients in the United States: 2011 (from American Community Survey)
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-12.pdf>

42%

The percentage of income-based assistance recipients in West Virginia who had a disability, which led all states. Arizona ranked the lowest, at 25 percent.
Source: Disability Characteristics of Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients in the United States: 2011 (from American Community Survey)
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-12.pdf>

Health Insurance

10%

Percentage of people with a disability who lacked health insurance. Those without a disability were more likely to be without coverage (16 percent).
Source: 2011 American Community Survey, Table B18135
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-12.pdf>

Historical boundaries

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Steve Batt

Have you ever wondered what your county or Congressional district boundaries looked like in 1845? Before 1845? Then this is the blog post for you.

At UCLA, Jeffrey Lewis, Brandon DeVine and Lincoln Pritcher have developed and made freely available Congressional district boundaries for the entire lower 48 states – all the way back to 1789. Their project draws on research previously done by Kenneth Martis, who also provided advice and source materials for the authors. The boundaries are available as an ESRI shapefile and GeoJSON at a slightly lower resolution. Please visit their website for more information and documentation, as well as to download the shapefiles. The three maps below use their data to show the district boundaries at different points in time.

The project used data from the National Historic GIS, as well as the Newberry Library in Chicago. The Newberry Library provides GIS and KML files for historical county boundaries at the state and national levels. Take, for example, this page for Connecticut which explains the data and directs you to an interactive viewer that allows you to compare modern and historical county boundaries from various dates (see below).

Demographic bits and bytes II

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Steve Batt

The Census Bureau regularly releases various types of information and statistics. This post contains some of the statistics that have been released over the past few months.

“Unmarried moms”

The Bureau reports that about 6 in 10 recent moms in their early 20s are unmarried. The data, from the 2011 ACS, suggests that 62% of women age 20 to 24 who gave birth in the previous 12 months were unmarried. Compare this with 17% for women age 35 to 39. These numbers were also compared to education levels, which show that as education levels rise, the percent of births to unmarried women decline. The states with the highest percentages of unmarried mothers were Washington DC (51%), Louisiana (49%), Mississippi (48%) and New Mexico (48%). The states with the lowest percentages were Utah (15%) and New Hampshire (20%). The writers of the report for the Census Bureau note that “..the increased share of unmarried recent mothers is one measure of the nation’s changing family structure…Nonmarital fertility has been climbing steadily since the 1940s and has risen even more markedly in recent years.”

Per student education spending decreases

For the first time in nearly four decades, the amount of money spent per student in the US has decreased. The Census Bureau reports that this is the first time spending has decreased since it began collecting annual data in 1977. The 50 states and Washington DC spent $10,560 per student in 2011, which was down 0.4% from 2010.

Top state spenders:

New York ($19,076)
District of Columbia ($18,475)
Alaska ($16,674)
New Jersey ($15,968)
Vermont ($15,925)

Lowest state spenders:

Mississippi ($7,928)
Arizona ($7,666)
Oklahoma ($7,587)
Idaho ($6,824)
Utah ($6,212)

Connecticut public schools received $796,156 in revenue from Federal sources during the 2011 Fiscal year – however the state with the highest revenue from federal sources was California at $9,990,221 with Texas in second at $7,818,075. Revenue from state sources for Connecticut in 2011 was $3,171,891 in total, while for California it was $37,690,834 with New York in second at $23,188,002. See this news release for more information about expenditures and revenue for public schools.

arab households in the us 2006-2010

Another news brief issued by the Census Bureau gives a “national-level portrait” of US household, and specifically those with Arab ancestries. The brief uses American Community Survey data to determine Arab ancestry. For example, the survey asks for “ancestry or ethnic origin.” From responses collected, the Census Bureau considers anyone who reported being “Algerian, Bahraini, Egyptian, Emirati, Iraqi, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, Lebanese, Libyan, Moroccan, Omani, Palestinian, Qatari, Saudi Arabian, Syrian, Tunisian and Yemeni to be of Arab ancestry.”

The data itself shows that in the US, the population with Arab ancestry increased from 850,000 in 1990 to 1.2 million in 2000. The ACS data from 2006-2010 shows that an estimated 1.5 million people (0.5 percent of total population) with Arab ancestry now live in the US – a 76% increase since 1990. The number of households has also increased – from 268,000 in 1990 to 511,000 in 2010.

economic characteristics of households in the US – 2011 (4th quarter)

And for all households in the US, the Census Bureau has released a set of tables that detail their economic characteristics for the 4th quarter of 2011. The available data ranges from median monthly household cash income to labor-force status, and receipt of benefits from selected means-tested noncash benefit programs.

Quarterly summary of state & local government tax revenue – 2013 (1st quarter)

The Census Bureau has released statistics for the first quarter of 2013 that detail the quarterly tax revenue statistics on property, sales, license, income and other taxes. Statistics are available for individual state governments as well as at the national level. Some of the categories broken down by state include various licenses, such as alcoholic beverages, hunting and fishing, and motor vehicles. Property, sales and gross receipts and income taxes are also included in the table.

Click here for an interactive visualizations of taxes collected by state

Click here for an interactive visualization of taxes collected by state

Computer and internet use in the US

The Census Bureau has also released information about internet use within households, as well as the impact of smart phones. The report was written using data collected in a supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) in July 2011. The supplement includes questions “about computer ownership, internet use both inside and outside the home, and the additional devices that people use to go online.” According to the report, the Census Bureau has asked questions related to computer use since 1984, and internet use since 1997.

As you may have guessed, computer use has changed drastically in Americans’ homes since 1984. In 2011, 75.6% of households reported having a computer – compared to 8.2% in 1984 and even 61.8% in 2003 (this surprised me). In 2011, 71.7% of households reported accessing the internet, while only 18% did so in 1997 – via that now nostalgic dial-up modem. Only 54.7% had access in 2003.

The report also discusses the disparities in internet use amongst different racial, ethnic, and even age groups in the United States. For example, in 2011, internet use was most common in households where the householder was between 35-44 years old (81.9%). Households that had householders over the age of 55 had much lower rates. Additionally, the report found that householders with higher levels of education also report higher rates of internet usage. For more detailed information, click the link above to access a PDF of the report.

Sequester to impact data distribution

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Steve Batt

Due to the federal sequester, the release of several datasets will be cancelled or altered.

This notice, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) describes the impact that budget restrictions and sequestration will have on specific datasets. To summarize, the three datasets that will be most impacted are the Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS) which was used to estimate economic impacts of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon event. The dataset (RIMS II) will be eliminated, and though orders will continue to be accepted and processed through the end of the fiscal year, the dataset will not be updated in future years. The Local Area Personal Income Statistics (LAPI) dataset will also not be published. According to the BEA, this dataset “constitutes the only source for county and metropolitan area personal income statistics and are the building blocks for other regional economic statistics.” The third affected dataset is Foreign Direct Investment Analytical Products. According to the notice that was released, “the BEA will eliminate analytical activities related to the DFI and the operations of multinational companies (MNCs), which will affect some annual publications as well as occasional topical papers.” Other types of statistics that will be affected in this dataset include information on offshoring, impact of MNCs on domestic economy, and the impact of global value chains for measuring economic activity.

In terms of Census data, the Census Bureau has released a notice stating that the 2010 Census Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files, which were originally scheduled for release from March through June 2013, have been delayed and will most likely be cancelled.

Similar information can be found by using the American Community Survey PUMS files which are very similar to the 2010 Census PUMS files.

Facts for Features – 4th of July

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Steve Batt

On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

2.5 million
In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970

316.2 million
The nation’s estimated population on this July Fourth.
Source: U.S. and World Population Clock

The Signers

56
Numbers of signers to the Declaration of Independence.
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston comprised the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration. Jefferson, regarded as the strongest and most eloquent writer, wrote most of the document.
It’s also worth noting that:

John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, was the first signer. This merchant by trade did so in an entirely blank space making it the largest and most famous signature – hence the term John Hancock, which is still used today as a synonym for signature. There are 7,354,043 businesses with paid employees in the U.S., according to the 2011 County Business Patterns.
Benjamin Franklin (age 70), who represented Pennsylvania, was the oldest of the signers.
Franklin County, Pa., had an estimated population of 151,275 as of July 1, 2012. Edward Rutledge (age 26), of South Carolina, was the youngest.
Two future presidents signed, John Adams (second President) and Thomas Jefferson (third President). Both died on the 50th anniversary of signing the Declaration (July 4, 1826). There are 12 counties nationwide named Adams and 26 named Jefferson.
Robert Livingston, who represented New York, was on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence but was recalled by his state before he could sign it. Livingston County, N.Y., was home to an estimated 64,810 people as of July 1, 2012.
Map of CT/RI in 1776, from MAGIC’s map collection. Visit online by clicking the image.
Representing Georgia in 1776 were Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall and GeorgeWalton. Gwinnett County, Ga. (842,046), Hall County, Ga. (185,416) and Walton County, Ga. (84,575) were named for these signers.
Charles Carroll, who represented Maryland, was the last surviving member of the signers of the Declaration. He died in 1832 at the age of 95. Carroll County, Md., named for him, had an estimated population of 167,217 as of July 1, 2012.
Roger Sherman, who worked as a land surveyor and lawyer, represented Connecticut. Today, there are an estimated 30,445 surveyors, cartographers and photogrammetrists employed full time, year-round, and 840,813 lawyers employed full time, year-round nationwide, according to the 2011 American Community Survey.
Nelson County, Va. (14,827) and Wythe County, Va. (29,251) were named for two of the six signers who represented the state of Virginia – Thomas Nelson Jr. and George Wythe.

Sources: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012, 2011 American Community Survey and 2011 County Business Patterns (NAICS)

Fireworks

$218.2 million
The value of fireworks imported from China in 2012, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($227.3 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $11.7 million in 2012, with Israel purchasing more than any other country ($2.5 million).

$231.8 million
The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks and pyrotechnics (including flares, igniters, etc.) in 2007.
Source: 2007 Economic Census, Series EC0731SP1, Products and Services Code 325998J108

Flags

$3.8 million
In 2012, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount ($3.6 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$614,115
Dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2012. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $188,824 worth.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$302.7 million
Dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation’s manufacturers in 2007, according to the latest published economic census statistics.
Source: 2007 Economic Census, Series EC0731SP1, Products and Services Code 3149998231

Patriotic-Sounding Place Names

Fifty-nine places contain the word “liberty” in the name. Pennsylvania, with 11, has more of these places than any other state. Of the 59 places nationwide containing “liberty” in the name, four are counties: Liberty County, Ga. (65,471), Liberty County, Fla. (8,276), Liberty County, Mont. (2,392) and Liberty County, Texas (76,571).
One place has “patriot” in its name. Patriot, Ind., has an estimated population of 209.

The most common patriotic-sounding word used within place names is “union” with 136. Pennsylvania, with 33, has more of these places than any other state. Other words most commonly used in place names are Washington (127), Franklin (118), Jackson (96) and Lincoln (95).

Sources: TIGER Shapefiles, the Census Bureau’s geographic database (Place/MCD/County combined “used within name” count), Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011

The British are Coming!

$109.8 billion
Dollar value of trade last year between the United States and the United Kingdom, making the British, our adversary in 1776, our sixth-leading trading partner today.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

Fourth of July Cookouts

65.9 million
Number of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2013. Chances are that the pork hot dogs and sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 20.3 million hogs and pigs. North Carolina (8.9 million) and Minnesota (7.8 million) were also homes to large numbers of pigs.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

6.3 billion pounds
Total estimated production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2012. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for nearly one-sixth of the nation’s total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (estimated at5.1 billion pounds) or Kansas (estimated at 3.8 billion pounds).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

6
Number of states in which the value of broiler chicken production was estimated at $1 billion or greater between December 2011 and November 2012. There is a good chance that one of these states — Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas — is the source of your barbecued chicken.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

345 million
Acreage planted of potatoes in Idaho in 2012, the most in the nation. Washington followed with 165 million acres. The total 2012 potato crop is forecast to exceed 467 million hundredweight (cwt), the highest level since 2000 when 523 million cwt was produced. Potato salad is a popular food item at Fourth of July barbecues.
Source: USDA, National Agriculture Statistics Service, Economic Research Service
http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProdSu/CropProdSu-01-11-2013.pdf
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/vgs-vegetables-and-pulses-outlook/vgs353.aspx

How Do We Know?

As we celebrate this Independence Day, we reflect on how our Founding Fathers enshrined the importance of statistics in our Constitution as a vital tool for measuring our people, places and economy. Since 1790, the U.S. Census has been much more than a simple head count; it has charted the growth and composition of our nation. The questions have evolved over time to address our changing needs. Today, the 10-year census, the economic census and the American Community Survey give Congress and community leaders the information they need to make informed decisions that shape our democracy. These statistics are how we know how our country is doing.

Visit http://www.census.gov/how to view and to learn more about “How Do We Know?” Follow @uscensusbureau on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Pinterest (#HowDoWeKnow) for updates.

Source:

Summer 2013 Geofocus Newsletter

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Steve Batt

The Summer 2013 issue of Geofocus is out! Please visit the CT User to User website to access the newsletter: http://ctgis.uconn.edu/resources/newsletter.htm

In this issue, we here at MAGIC have announced that there are now 2 new aerial photography centerpoint indexes available in KML format, and .shp format coming soon! The indexes are for the 1934 and 1965 aerial photography collections, which encompass the entire state.

The indexes can be used to preview photos and to download a TIFF or PDF version of the photograph. The indexes serve as a reference point for the photographs, and none of the photographs have been georeferenced or orthorectified.

To access the indexes, please visit our website: http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/connecticut_data.html#indexes

Facts for Features: Father’s Day – Sunday June 16th

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Steve Batt

From the U.S. Census Bureau:

The idea of Father’s Day was conceived slightly more than a century ago by Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on a farm. A day in June was chosen for the first Father’s Day celebration, June 17, 1910, proclaimed by Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of Smart’s birth. The first presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Father’s Day has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.

How Many Fathers?

70.1 million

Estimated number of fathers across the nation in 2008, the most recent year for which data are available.

Source: Unpublished data from the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation

24.4 million

Number of fathers who were part of married-couple families with children younger than 18 in 2012.

–21 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18 (among married-couple family households only).

–3 percent were a subfamily living in someone else’s home.

Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements <http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2012.html> Tables FG1 and FG3

1.96 million

Number of single fathers in 2012; 16 percent of single parents were men.

–Nine percent were raising three or more children younger than 18.

–About 44 percent were divorced, 31 percent were never married, 20 percent were separated, and 5 percent were widowed.

–42 percent had an annual family income of $50,000 or more.

Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements <http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2012.html> Table FG6.

Thinking of You, Dad

7,368

The number of men’s clothing stores around the country (as of 2010), a good place to buy dad a tie or shirt.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (44811), <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

15,542

The number of hardware stores (as of 2010), a place to buy hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers and other items high on the list of Father’s Day gifts. Additionally, there were 6,764 home centers across the country in 2010.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS codes (444130) and (444110), <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

21,418

Number of sporting goods stores in 2010. These stores are good places to purchase traditional gifts for dad, such as fishing rods and golf clubs.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (451110), <http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

79.1 million

The number of Americans who participated in a barbecue in 2010. It’s probably safe to assume many of these barbecues took place on Father’s Day.

Source: GFK Mediamark Research and Intelligence as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012, Table 1240.http://www.gfkmri.com, http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab

Stay at Home Dads

189,000

Estimated number of stay-at-home dads in 2012. These married fathers with children younger than 15 have remained out of the labor force for at least one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wife works outside the home. These fathers cared for upward of 369,000 children.

Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements <http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2012.html> Tables FG8 and C3

18%

In spring 2011, the percentage of preschoolers regularly cared for by their father during their mother’s working hours.

Source: Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2011 <http://www.census.gov/hhes/childcare/data/sipp/2011/tables.html>

Child-Support Payments

$1.9 billion

Amount of child support received by custodial fathers in 2009; they were due $3.5 billion. In contrast, custodial mothers received $19.5 billion of the $31.7 billion in support that was due.

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-240.pdf>

34%

Percentage of custodial fathers who received all child support that was due in 2009, not significantly different from the corresponding percentage for custodial mothers, 42 percent.

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-240.pdf>

70%

Percentage of custodial fathers receiving noncash support, such as gifts or coverage of expenses, on behalf of their children. The corresponding proportion for mothers was 58 percent.

Source: Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2009 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p60-240.pdf>

Are you a pixel?

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Steve Batt

Many social media sites allow the option for “geotagging” – letting others know where you did something. Where you took a photo, where you made a comment or status update, etc. Obviously the most common two are Twitter and Facebook, but more and more applications ask for your location when you share a bit of information such as a status update, a photograph, or a 140-character bit of wisdom. Though this might seem relatively mundane, the location where you did or said something combined with what that thing was is one of the most powerful datasets available to not only geographers, but a slew of other disciplines including psychology, sociology, marketing and anthropology, to name a few. It is now apparent that a person, or the location where a person does something, is a data point or pixel in the context of the image that is the wider data world. So make your data count!

People as pixels: Image by artist Craig Alan and from TechEBlog

Though this is not a new concept by any means, every day more and more individuals are using this information or finding new ways to create interesting and informative maps or visualizations that provide commentary on location-specific attributes of not only the United States, but the world. In addition to maps that contain spatial data, there are visualizations of textual data from social media sources, and social media and crowd-sourced mapping have also been used for crisis-mapping situations. For example, using the Twitter Search API, ESRI created maps that include a spatial representation of tweets overlaying other information for both the 2011 Japan earthquake, and the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma. Facebook even has its own page called “Facebook Data Science“ that gleans information and creates visualizations that it posts.

Though this post is only skimming the surface of much broader academic and theoretical issues, here are some examples of maps and visualizations that we appreciated, and even some ways that you can make your own. If you know of other interesting examples that we missed, let us know!

The Geography of Hate

Using Twitter, all tweets containing each ‘hate word’ were aggregated to the county level and normalized by the total Twitter traffic in each county.

Geography and Football

Based on user’s status messages and their relationship to others, Facebook created a map showing locations of where people lived who supported specific teams.
This blog post went even further with that map, to try to explain some specific unexpected distributions (i.e. Minnesota Vikings fans living in North Carolina).

Mapping the world by “check-ins”

This map, posted on Facebook Data Science and created by Paul Butler in 2010, shows an image of the world created by visualizing where people “checked-in” on Facebook – each pixel represents 3 check-ins. The visualizations are stunning.

Image courtesy of Joel Salisbury

Foursquare, in collaboration with Samsung, has recently also created the “Time Machine,” which allows users to create infographics of all of their check-ins, “ever”! Foursquare users can access this feature by going to http://www.foursquare.com/timemachine. In addition to the creation of a beautiful map (see below), foursquare will crunch the data to create graphs and other comparisons between types of places visited, recent check-ins, frequent connections, most visits to specific locations, and all kinds of mind-boggling statistics you might not have known about yourself until you see them summarized in a pretty image.

Other maps that have recently been in the news include 122 that depict dialect differences for different regions in the United States. Joshua Katz, a PhD student in Statistics at UNC created a model to define dialect regions based on The Cambridge Online Survey of World Englishes, by Bert Vaux and Marius L. Jøhndal. The”Results” tab on their website also shows maps of various responses as points if you log in and take the survey yourself. Though only 22 of Joshua’s maps were published in this Business Insider article, all 122 can be seen here. Being from Rhode Island, I was a little surprised that “grinder” didn’t make it on to the subs vs hoagies map and similarly shocked that over 80% of respondents in Providence, Hartford and Boston said it was called a “sub”!)

Edit: Because I was so surprised by the lack of “grinder,” I went back to look at the original survey point data from the Cambridge Online Survey. Sure enough, the responses in the Northeast are much more nuanced than the above map suggests. Not only is “grinder” a fairly common response, but so is “hero” in the NYC and Long Island area. Neither response is really represented in the map above. Below is the map of the original point data. Another copy can also be accessed here.

Finally, if you’d like to do some textual mapping, this article explains how to download your Twitter archive and create a word or tag cloud that visualizes your interests or most commonly-tweeted themes (a word cloud for this post is below!). Similarly, if there is a topic you find interesting, http://searchhash.com/ will allow you to search for every few days’ worth of hashtag topics on Twitter.

Another edit – just discovered a map, via GISLounge, where Twitter users are mapped globally by the type of smart phone that they use. You can pan and zoom to look at specific areas of the world. Pretty amazing!

http://www.mapbox.com/labs/twitter-gnip/brands/#10/41.4402/-71.7325

Hurricane season by the numbers

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Steve Batt

As residents of Connecticut, Hurricane Sandy still remains fresh in our recent memory. As one of the most costly hurricanes in New England and even US history, the storm reminds us how important it is to be prepared. Hurricane season in the US begins on June 1st and lasts through November 30th. Every year, the Census Bureau produces statistics to aid emergency planning, preparedness and recovery efforts.

Historical Storms

Track of Hurricane Bob (1991)

We all have our memories of hurricanes-past as well, especially those that have made landfall in New England. The Great Hurricane of 1938, the 1944 hurricane, Carol (1954), Gloria (1985), Bob (1991), Irene (2011) – we certainly won’t forget those names any time soon. All of these storms were so destructive that each one of those names has been retired from the Atlantic tropical cyclone naming convention. I remember, having grown up in coastal Rhode Island, when Bob made landfall and the eye eerily and silently passed over our house to give us a brief respite from the furious wind that sounded like a freight train.

The National Hurricane Center maintains all of the historical data about these storms – their tracks, various statistics, and GIS data as well. So now, 22 years later, I can look up Bob’s track, intensity, and dates. If you’re interested, click here for more information from the National Hurricane Center data archive.

1938: Flooding from the storm surge in Bushnell Park, Hartford CT

The storm surge of the 1938 hurricane was between 14 and 18 feet in coastal Connecticut, which caused the Connecticut River in Hartford to reach a level of 35.4 feet – 19.4 feet above flood stage. There was widespread destruction in southern New England, and upwards of 500 deaths (Source).

For pre- and post-storm aerial imagery for Hurricane Sandy, check out the USGS Coastal Change Hazards site.

Census Bureau – Facts for Features: Hurricane Season

In the Hurricane’s Path

10

The number of hurricanes during the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, with only two of them as major hurricanes (Category 3-strength or higher). However, one of the major hurricanes was Hurricane Sandy. It struck southeastern Cuba at Category 3 strength, then made landfall in New Jersey as a post-tropical cyclone. It was the second costliest cyclone on record (not adjusted for inflation) at $50 billion, ranking only behind Hurricane Katrina from 2005. The only other hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in 2012 was Hurricane Isaac, which hit Louisiana.
Source: National Hurricane Center
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2012atlan.shtml>
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL182012_Sandy.pdf>

82.2 million

Population as of July 1, 2012, of coastal states stretching from North Carolina to Texas — the areas most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. An estimated 26.2 percent of the nation’s population live in these states.
Source: 2012 Population Estimates
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2012/tables/NST-EST2012-01.xls>

34.1 million

Population in 1960 of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas. Approximately 19 percent of the nation’s population lived in these areas at that time.
Source: 1960 Census <http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts>

240.9%

Percentage growth of the population of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas between 1960 and 2012.
Source: 2012 Population Estimates and 1960 Census
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2012/tables/NST-EST2012-01.xls>
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/cencounts>

591,821

Collective land area in square miles of the states stretching from North Carolina to Texas.
Source: 2010 Census <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/statearea_intpt.html>

10 Year Anniversary of Hurricane Isabel

2003

The costliest and deadliest hurricane of 2003, Hurricane Isabel made landfall in the U.S. on the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Sept. 18, destroying many homes on the barrier island. Isabel later moved north through Virginia and Washington, D.C., and ended up causing about $3 billion in damage to the mid-Atlantic region.
Sources: National Hurricane Center
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2003isabel.shtml>
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/history/>

Category 2

The strength of Hurricane Isabel at landfall based on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds measured at 105 mph. Isabel reached a peak as a Category 5 storm on Sept. 11 south of Bermuda, but gradually weakened as it approached landfall.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration <http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/pages/aboutsshs.php>

3

Counties that encompass the land area of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The area includes parts of Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties.
Source: Census Quickfacts <http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/north_carolina_map.html>

64,509

Population of Currituck County, Dare County and Hyde County in North Carolina in 2012.
Source: 2012 Census Population Estimates
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPANNRES/0400000US37.05000>

26,581

The number of occupied housing units in Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties combined.
Source: 2007-2011 American Community Survey Estimates
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP04/0500000US37053|0500000US37055|0500000US37095>

$236,500; 321,200; and 93,600

Median home value of owner-occupied units in Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties, respectively.
Source: 2007-2011 American Community Survey Estimates
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP04/0500000US37053|0500000US37055|0500000US37095>

32.0, 19.5 and 25.1 minutes

Mean commuting time to work for residents in Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties, respectively.
Source: 2007-2011 American Community Survey Estimates
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP03/0500000US37053|0500000US37055|0500000US37095>

7.8%, 11.1% and 25.1%

The percent of people who live below poverty level in in Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties, respectively.
Source: 2007-2011 American Community Survey Estimates
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP03/0500000US37053|0500000US37055|0500000US37095>

History of Hurricane Naming Conventions

Andrea

The name of the first Atlantic storm of 2013. Hurricane names rotate in a six-year cycle with the 2013 list being a repeat of the 2007 names.
Source: National Hurricane Center <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml>

76

The number of hurricane names officially retired by the World Meteorological Organization. Although hurricane names are recycled every six years, for reasons of sensitivity, hurricane names that were so deadly and costly that re-use of the name would be considered inappropriate are retired.
Source: World Meteorological Organization <http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/tcp/Storm-naming.html>

1950

The year the Weather Bureau officially began naming hurricanes.
Source: Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory <http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html>

2005

In one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, 28 named storms formed, forcing use of the alternate Greek alphabet scheme for the first time. When the National Hurricane Center’s list of 21 approved names runs out for the year, hurricanes are named after Greek letters. Of the 28 named storms in 2005, 15 were hurricanes, with four storms reaching Category 5 status (Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma) and three more being considered major.
Source: Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory <http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html>

Preparing for Emergencies Using Census Bureau Statistics

The growth in population of coastal areas illustrates the importance of emergency planning and preparedness for areas that are more susceptible to inclement weather conditions. The U.S. Census Bureau’s official decennial census and population estimates, along with annually updated socio-economic data from the American Community Survey, provide a detailed look at the nation’s growing coastal population. Emergency planners and community leaders can better assess the needs of coastal populations using Census Bureau statistics.