Documentation: | ACS 2012 (5-Year Estimates) |
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Publisher: U.S. Census Bureau
Survey: ACS 2012 (5-Year Estimates)
Document: | ACS 2012-5yr Summary File: Technical Documentation |
citation: | Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2008-2012 Summary File: Technical Documentation. |
Chapter Contents
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a part of the U.S. Census Bureau's Decennial Census Program and is designed to provide more current demographic, social, economic, and housing estimates throughout the decade. The ACS provides information on more than 40 topics, including education, language ability, the foreign-born, marital status, migration and many more. Each year the survey randomly samples around 3.5 million addresses and produces statistics that cover 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year periods for geographic areas in the United States and Puerto Rico. The 5-year estimates are available for many distinct geographies including the nation, all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, counties, places, census tracts, and block groups. For more information about the ACS, please visit our home page at: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/. ACS tables are published on the Census Bureau's American FactFinder (AFF) website, factfinder2.census.gov, and are available for download in several forms. This document will brief data users on the contents of the ACS Summary File and explain how they can use it to obtain the 3-year estimates.
The American Community Survey Summary File (ACSSF) is a unique data product that includes all the estimates and margins of error from the Detailed Tables and geographies that are published for the ACS. Other ACS data products such as Subject Tables and Data Profiles are created from the Detailed Tables and are therefore not available in the Summary File.
Since the Detailed Tables contain a large number of cells, the tables are stored in a series of files with only the data from the tables; the title of the tables, the description of the rows, and the names of the geographic areas are not included. That information appears in other files that the user must merge with the data files to reproduce the tables.
The ACS Summary File data files are in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. The files are divided into three types:
Chapter 2 discusses each component in detail and explains how to put them all together.
Since the Detailed Tables contain a large number of cells, the tables are stored in a series of files with only the data from the tables; the title of the tables, the description of the rows, and the names of the geographic areas are not included. That information appears in other files that the user must merge with the data files to reproduce the tables.
The ACS Summary File data files are in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. The files are divided into three types:
- Geographies - (position based and comma delimited)
- Estimates - (comma delimited)
- Margins of Error - (comma delimited)
Chapter 2 discusses each component in detail and explains how to put them all together.
Data contained in the ACS Summary File cover demographic, social, economic, and housing subject areas. All Detailed Tables for the ACS 5-year estimates are in the Summary File and are listed in Appendix E.
The published ACS Summary File geographies cover areas that are based on "summary levels." A summary level specifies the content and the hierarchical relationships of the geographic elements that are required to tabulate and summarize data. For example, summary level code "040" represents the U.S., states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico; while summary level code "050" represents counties and county equivalents within states.
In addition to the ACS 1-year and 3-year summary levels, additional summary levels are included in the 5-year estimates, including census tracts and block groups, and additional information for geographies such as American Indian areas, core based statistical areas, combined statistical areas, Congressional districts and state legislative districts. See the full list of summary levels published for the 5-year Detailed Tables in Appendix F. For the 2008-2012 ACS 5-year data release, data for census block groups are not published on American FactFinder and are only available using the ACS Summary File. The list of tables in Appendix E shows which tables are available at the block group level.
Many resources are available to help users understand the ACS geographic terms and concepts. For additional information, please visit http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/index.html and http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/geography/. Users may also find the full list of summary levels published for the 3-year Detailed Tables in Appendix F.
The published ACS Summary File geographies cover areas that are based on "summary levels." A summary level specifies the content and the hierarchical relationships of the geographic elements that are required to tabulate and summarize data. For example, summary level code "040" represents the U.S., states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico; while summary level code "050" represents counties and county equivalents within states.
In addition to the ACS 1-year and 3-year summary levels, additional summary levels are included in the 5-year estimates, including census tracts and block groups, and additional information for geographies such as American Indian areas, core based statistical areas, combined statistical areas, Congressional districts and state legislative districts. See the full list of summary levels published for the 5-year Detailed Tables in Appendix F. For the 2008-2012 ACS 5-year data release, data for census block groups are not published on American FactFinder and are only available using the ACS Summary File. The list of tables in Appendix E shows which tables are available at the block group level.
Many resources are available to help users understand the ACS geographic terms and concepts. For additional information, please visit http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/index.html and http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/geography/. Users may also find the full list of summary levels published for the 3-year Detailed Tables in Appendix F.
Since using the ACS Summary File can be challenging, users should first check if their tables of interest are available for download on American FactFinder. Below are some other options to help users retrieve the tables they want. They are listed in order based on ease of use.
- Summary File Excel Retrieval Tool
- Summary File Excel Import Tool
- SAS Programs
- Summary File DataFerrett Tool
For those who have used the ACS Summary File in previous years, the files for the 5-year estimates are similar to prior publications, with the following exceptions:
- ACS Summary File Retrieval Tool Video Available
- New Topics Available in 5-year Release
- Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) Included in the United States Folder
Please send any technical questions or comments on the ACS Summary File you have via email to: acso.users.support@census.gov. If you have questions or comments about the American Community Survey, you can submit a question online at ask.census.gov/.