State and local governments -- in fact, all Americans -- now have a way to track demographic trends, even in the smallest cities.
The U.S. Census Bureau released Tuesday the first set of five-year data from the American Community Survey estimates.
Until now, everyone from the governor to county administrators to city mayors had to rely on generally outdated data from the 2000 Census. Now, they can see more timely snapshots of their communities, as the data is compiled into five-year pools and released once a year.
Tuesday's released data is based on a sample survey mailed to about 3 million addresses between Jan. 1, 2005 and Dec. 31, 2009. Next year, the sample will cover Jan. 1, 2006 to Dec. 31, 2010. Thus, it gives a rolling sample for lawmakers and government administrators in particular to watch trends develop, allowing them to make more informed decisions on how to allocate resources.
"The data provided through the ACS provide a statistical foundation to evaluate our nation's needs," said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. "And we now share them with communities across the country as a powerful resource for decision-making."
The ACS data allows anyone to look at nationwide trends and comparisons, or to find out what's happening in their city.
For example, the data released Tuesday shows there are 62 counties in the country where less than 10 percent of the population 25 and over has a bachelor's degree. Fourteen of these counties were in Georgia, nine in Tennessee, eight in Kentucky and five each in Florida and West Virginia. The Florida counties wereBaker,Dixie,Hardee,Hendry and Lafayette.
Or that an estimated 37.7 percent of the population in Tallahassee makes less than $25,000 per year, compared to 23.8 percent in Naples or 16.5 percent in the town of Palm Beach.
Overall, with 11 billion estimates for 670,000 geographies, this is the largest single data release by the U.S. in history.
Officials say the new 2005-2009 ACS estimates are not related to the 2010 Census population counts and should not be compared to them.
The 2010 Census data detailing national and state population counts will be released Dec. 21.
More detailed information, including the Census data that will help states begin the redistricting process, will be released beginning in February.
Lane Wright can be reached at lane@sunshinestatenews.com or 561-247-1063.
