DEMOGRAPHICS

Census Releases Data for 20,000 U.S. Communities

Nation's richest-ever portrait provides 5-year look at race, gender, age, and more.

Updated: December 6, 2012 | 1:22 p.m.
December 6, 2012 | 10:58 a.m.

The Census Bureau released its “most detailed portrait of every U.S. community” on Thursday, providing insights into the populations of towns of fewer than 20,000.

This five-year American Community Survey data set, which delights demographers and political analysts alike, allows analysis and comparison of education, occupation, language, ancestry, and housing costs, all of which can be cross-studied by race, gender, age, and more.

For this collection of data for 2007 to 2011, the bureau updated its QuickFacts site and provided a new Easy Stats page, both designed to allow easier analysis of the 11 billion ACS data points. For instance, mining of the data provided insights into occupation and immigration.

  • Women Notch Progress: Females Now Constitute One-Third of Nation's Ranks of Doctors and Lawyers. Wall Street Journal
  • Illegal Immigration Drops After Decades-Long Rise. USA Today

Below is some of the early coverage, with more stories being produced in coming days.

 

Demographics: 5-Year ACS Results

"American Community Survey", demographics

View "Demographics: 5-Year ACS Results" on Spundge

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