PRB

(December 2010) New five-year estimates from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey create many new opportunities as well as challenges for data users. In this PRB webinar—delivered to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Network—Mark Mather, associate vice president of Domestic Programs at PRB discusses what to expect from the new estimates and offers some practical guidelines for working with the data. The presentation is divided into four sections. Click on the title of each section to view the webinar.

Introduction and Overview

Slides:
Focus of Presentation
About the American Community Survey
ACS Estimates are Period Estimates
Population Thresholds for ACS Data
Geographic Areas Available for 5-Year ACS Estimates
Timetable for ACS Data
Data Products Available for 5-Year ACS Estimates
Data Overload?

Accuracy of the Data
Slides:
Accuracy of ACS Estimates (Nonsampling Error)
U.S. Population Trends, 1990-2010
A Low Census Count in 2010?
Implications for ACS Comparisons
Other Considerations in Making Comparisons
Guidelines for Making Comparisons Between Data Sources
Accuracy of ACS Estimates (Sampling Error)
Options for Dealing with Small Numbers

Case Study: Choosing Between ACS Estimates
Slides:
Case Study: Presenting County-Level ACS Data for Vermont
Option 1: Present 5-Year Estimates for All Counties
Option 2: Present 3-Year Estimates for All Counties
Option 3: Present 3-Year Estimates for Counties and County Groups
Option 4: Present 1-Year Estimates for Counties and County Groups
Option 5: Present Data from Decennial Census or Alternative Source if Available
How to Choose Which Data to Use?

Accessing the Data
Slides:
Accessing 5-Year ACS Data
Potential Improvements to the ACS
Final Thoughts
Two New Online Tutorials
Contact Information