Using American Community Survey Data Products to Meet Your Needs

Carrie R. Simon, U.S. Census Bureau
Pamela M. Klein, U.S. Census Bureau

The American Community Survey (ACS) provides the nation with a timely, accurate, and detailed look at how America is changing. To help the data user arrive at this information, the Census Bureau produces various data products that show characteristics of the country’s population and housing. The 2005 ACS data release includes ten different data products. While some products are similar to those produced for the decennial census, others are new to the ACS. The data products available are user friendly, but also sophisticated – often times comparing and showing statistical significance between geographical areas. With so many tabular and graphical displays, how is a data user to determine which data product will meet their needs? This paper describes and gives examples of the various 2005 ACS data products. The detailed descriptions highlight information on each product so that the data user can determine which product best fits their individual needs.