Geographic Mobility

Oudom Hean over 5 years ago

Hello All,

Currently, I'm working on a project that involves geographic mobility by education. However, I encounter an issue when trying to interpret the data. For example, below is an data from Geographic Mobility by Selected Characters in the U.S. using 2009 ACS 1-Year Estimate. Let say I'm looking at people who have a BA degree and who moved from a different state. The Table shows that the estiamted of these people is 2.5%. I wonder about what is the base here. In other words, 2.5% of what? 2.5% of total population? or, 2.5% of college graduates?

Subject	United States
	Total		Moved; within same county		Moved; from different county, same state		Moved; from different state		Moved; from abroad
	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error
Population 1 year and over	321,994,428	+/-33,543	8.1%	+/-0.1	3.3%	+/-0.1	2.3%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
AGE
1 to 4 years	16,070,409	+/-34,331	11.4%	+/-0.2	3.8%	+/-0.1	2.6%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
5 to 17 years	53,853,524	+/-30,642	8.1%	+/-0.1	2.3%	+/-0.1	1.7%	+/-0.1	0.6%	+/-0.1
18 to 24 years	30,820,412	+/-44,795	13.7%	+/-0.1	8.0%	+/-0.1	5.2%	+/-0.1	1.2%	+/-0.1
25 to 34 years	44,965,735	+/-36,952	13.4%	+/-0.1	5.7%	+/-0.1	4.0%	+/-0.1	1.1%	+/-0.1
35 to 44 years	41,117,905	+/-35,116	8.3%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
45 to 54 years	42,330,955	+/-34,932	5.8%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	1.5%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
55 to 64 years	42,019,776	+/-19,000	4.3%	+/-0.1	1.7%	+/-0.1	1.4%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
65 to 74 years	29,731,876	+/-21,417	3.2%	+/-0.1	1.3%	+/-0.1	1.3%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
75 years and over	21,083,836	+/-15,635	4.2%	+/-0.1	1.4%	+/-0.1	1.1%	+/-0.1	0.3%	+/-0.1

Median age (years)	38.5	+/-0.1	28.6	+/-0.1	28.0	+/-0.2	28.7	+/-0.2	29.9	+/-0.2

SEX
Male	158,489,820	+/-30,153	8.1%	+/-0.1	3.4%	+/-0.1	2.4%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
Female	163,504,608	+/-33,147	8.0%	+/-0.1	3.1%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1

RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN
One race	311,583,272	+/-95,672	8.0%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1	2.3%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
White	233,042,500	+/-123,921	7.6%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1	2.3%	+/-0.1	0.5%	+/-0.1
Black or African American	40,883,804	+/-69,843	10.1%	+/-0.1	3.7%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	0.6%	+/-0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native	2,690,221	+/-34,898	8.5%	+/-0.4	3.7%	+/-0.2	1.9%	+/-0.1	0.5%	+/-0.1
Asian	18,039,660	+/-36,869	7.4%	+/-0.1	2.9%	+/-0.1	2.8%	+/-0.1	3.0%	+/-0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	601,730	+/-15,569	9.7%	+/-1.1	2.5%	+/-0.5	2.9%	+/-0.6	1.7%	+/-0.4
Some other race	16,325,357	+/-122,559	8.4%	+/-0.2	2.5%	+/-0.1	1.3%	+/-0.1	1.1%	+/-0.1
Two or more races	10,411,156	+/-91,760	10.7%	+/-0.3	4.2%	+/-0.2	3.2%	+/-0.1	0.9%	+/-0.1

Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race)	57,902,175	+/-18,936	8.9%	+/-0.1	2.7%	+/-0.1	1.6%	+/-0.1	1.0%	+/-0.1
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino	195,418,920	+/-33,514	7.4%	+/-0.1	3.3%	+/-0.1	2.5%	+/-0.1	0.3%	+/-0.1

NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP STATUS
Native	277,494,599	+/-141,885	8.1%	+/-0.1	3.4%	+/-0.1	2.4%	+/-0.1	0.3%	+/-0.1
Foreign born	44,499,829	+/-135,588	7.6%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	1.9%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1
Naturalized U.S. citizen	21,943,411	+/-75,849	5.6%	+/-0.1	1.9%	+/-0.1	1.5%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
Not a U.S. citizen	22,556,418	+/-141,197	9.5%	+/-0.2	2.6%	+/-0.1	2.3%	+/-0.1	6.0%	+/-0.1

MARITAL STATUS
Population 15 years and over	264,697,304	+/-39,302	7.8%	+/-0.1	3.4%	+/-0.1	2.4%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
Never married	89,095,634	+/-171,846	10.9%	+/-0.1	5.2%	+/-0.1	3.4%	+/-0.1	0.8%	+/-0.1
Now married, except separated	126,526,912	+/-283,364	5.5%	+/-0.1	2.1%	+/-0.1	1.9%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
Divorced or separated	33,928,038	+/-116,945	9.3%	+/-0.1	3.8%	+/-0.1	2.3%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
Widowed	15,146,720	+/-51,294	5.4%	+/-0.1	2.0%	+/-0.1	1.4%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Population 25 years and over	221,250,083	+/-75,372	7.0%	+/-0.1	2.8%	+/-0.1	2.1%	+/-0.1	0.6%	+/-0.1
Less than high school graduate	26,582,211	+/-117,024	7.3%	+/-0.1	2.7%	+/-0.1	1.2%	+/-0.1	0.8%	+/-0.1
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	60,031,545	+/-156,340	6.8%	+/-0.1	2.7%	+/-0.1	1.5%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
Some college or associate's degree	63,870,412	+/-124,551	7.3%	+/-0.1	2.9%	+/-0.1	2.0%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
Bachelor's degree	43,585,028	+/-146,108	7.1%	+/-0.1	3.0%	+/-0.1	2.7%	+/-0.1	0.9%	+/-0.1
Graduate or professional degree	27,180,887	+/-118,417	6.3%	+/-0.1	2.7%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1	1.0%	+/-0.1

INDIVIDUAL INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2017 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)
Population 15 years and over	264,697,304	+/-39,302	7.8%	+/-0.1	3.4%	+/-0.1	2.4%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
$1 to $9,999 or loss	40,599,985	+/-109,038	9.0%	+/-0.1	4.8%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1	1.0%	+/-0.1
$10,000 to $14,999	22,031,386	+/-81,908	8.3%	+/-0.1	3.3%	+/-0.1	2.4%	+/-0.1	0.5%	+/-0.1
$15,000 to $24,999	36,344,395	+/-102,816	8.6%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1	2.4%	+/-0.1	0.5%	+/-0.1
$25,000 to $34,999	29,159,794	+/-95,809	8.6%	+/-0.1	3.2%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
$35,000 to $49,999	32,032,926	+/-96,542	8.0%	+/-0.1	3.1%	+/-0.1	2.1%	+/-0.1	0.3%	+/-0.1
$50,000 to $64,999	22,991,935	+/-88,700	7.2%	+/-0.1	3.0%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
$65,000 to $74,999	9,792,829	+/-49,808	6.6%	+/-0.2	2.7%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1
$75,000 or more	36,374,763	+/-110,636	5.7%	+/-0.1	2.4%	+/-0.1	2.3%	+/-0.1	0.4%	+/-0.1

Median income (dollars)	30,286	+/-42	26,274	+/-124	24,466	+/-303	26,219	+/-221	19,025	+/-758

POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS
Population 1 year and over for whom poverty status is determined	314,107,511	+/-38,532	7.9%	+/-0.1	2.9%	+/-0.1	2.2%	+/-0.1	0.6%	+/-0.1
Below 100 percent of the poverty level	41,824,483	+/-236,191	12.7%	+/-0.1	4.2%	+/-0.1	2.8%	+/-0.1	1.4%	+/-0.1
100 to 149 percent of the poverty level	27,131,398	+/-159,930	10.2%	+/-0.2	3.0%	+/-0.1	2.0%	+/-0.1	0.7%	+/-0.1
At or above 150 percent of the poverty level	245,151,630	+/-324,992	6.8%	+/-0.1	2.6%	+/-0.1	2.1%	+/-0.1	0.5%	+/-0.1

HOUSING TENURE
Population 1 year and over in housing units	313,910,780	+/-33,634	7.9%	+/-0.1	2.8%	+/-0.1	2.1%	+/-0.1	0.6%	+/-0.1
Householder lived in owner-occupied housing units	206,794,740	+/-520,622	4.5%	+/-0.1	1.9%	+/-0.1	1.3%	+/-0.1	0.3%	+/-0.1
Householder lived in renter-occupied housing units	107,116,040	+/-516,322	14.4%	+/-0.1	4.7%	+/-0.1	3.8%	+/-0.1	1.2%	+/-0.1

PERCENT ALLOCATED
Residence 1 year ago	7.4%	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)

JamiRae over 5 years ago

The universe for the educational attainment data is the population 25 years and older. So I would assume the 2.5% is for the population 25 years and older. You may want to check out table B07409 instead as it has the estimate numbers rather than just percentages.

Try this link:
factfinder.census.gov/.../B07409
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Glenn Rice over 5 years ago

I would think it's the percent of the total (first column, labeled "Total"). So, using your example, people who have a bachelor's degree and moved from a different state would be 2.7% of 43,585,028 (total in first column).

Subject	United States
	Total		Moved; within same county		Moved; from different county, same state		Moved; from different state		Moved; from abroad
	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error	Estimate	Margin of Error
Bachelor's degree	43,585,028	+/-146,108	7.1%	+/-0.1	3.0%	+/-0.1	2.7%	+/-0.1	0.9%	+/-0.1