Nearly 500 ACS data users attended the 2021 ACS Data Users Conference, which was held virtually on May 18-20, 2021. PRB organized the conference in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau and with guidance from a Conference Planning Committee. The program brought together more than 45 contributed presentations by ACS data users, invited plenary sessions and product demonstrations by Census Bureau staff, and informal roundtable discussions.
Access recordings of the breakout and plenary sessions by selecting the name of the session in the "Session" column. To view PDF versions of the presentations or additional materials provided by presenters, click on the links in the "Title of Presentation" column.
2021 ACS CONFERENCE PROGRAM
TUESDAY, MAY 18
Session
Time (EDT)
Presenter(s)
Title of Presentation
Welcome
11:00-11:15
Donna Daily, U.S. Census Bureau; and Linda A. Jacobsen, PRB
Welcome and Overview of Agenda
Census Bureau Product Demonstrations
11:15-11:50
Tyson Weister, U.S. Census Bureau
Accessing ACS data on data.census.gov(PDF)
Andy Hait, U.S. Census Bureau
Census Business Builder
11:55-12:30
ACS and Coronavirus: Accessing Key ACS Data on the COVID-19 Data Hub
Break
12:30-1:00
Breakout Session 1: Combining ACS With Other Survey or Administrative Data
1:00-2:20
Douglas Hillmer, Self-Employed
Linking ACS Data to Data from Other Sources: Issues to Consider(PDF)
Katherine Nesse, City of Bellevue, Washington
Parcel-Based Estimates of Population for Nonstandard Geographies: Combining Data from the ACS and the County Assessor’s Office to Create Accurate Estimates of Children and Adults(PDF | Additional Materials)
David Powers, Sara Robinson, Edward Berchick, J. Alex Branham, Lucinda Dalzell, Lorelle Dennis, Kristi Eckerson, Alfred Gottschalck, Joanna Motro, John Posey, Andrew Verdon, and Victoria Udalova, U.S. Census Bureau
Social Determinants of Emergency Department Utilization in Utah(PDF)
Breakout Session 2: Using the ACS to Study COVID-19 and Vulnerable Populations
Samantha Joseph, Daniel Galpern, Felice Le-Scherban, and Amy Carroll-Scott, Drexel University School of Public Health
Development of a COVID-19 Urban Vulnerability Data Dashboard to Inform Neighborhood-level Response in Philadelphia(PDF)
Jack Mullan and Bijan Kimiagar, Citizens' Committee for Children of New York
Mapping the Digital Divide: Using ACS Data to Analyze Internet Access in NYC(PDF)
Jonathan Schroeder, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota; Carrie Henning-Smith and Mariana Tuttle, Rural Health Research Center, University of Minnesota
Demographics and Disability Status of Adults Living Alone in Rural Areas: A Study of ACS Microdata(PDF)
2:20-2:30
Breakout Session 3: Housing Analyses Using ACS Data
2:30-3:50
Ethan Magnuson and Bryan Grady, SC Housing
The Eviction Crisis in South Carolina(PDF)
Matt Schroeder, Metropolitan Council (Twin Cities)
How Accurate Is ACS Data on Rental Housing?(PDF)
Jung Seo and Tom Vo, Southern California Association of Governments
An Environmental Justice Analysis of Job and Housing Imbalance in Southern California Region(PDF)
Breakout Session 4: Tools and Resources Using ACS Data
Lisa Berry, Diana Lavery, Jim Herries, and Steven Aviles, Esri, Inc.
Choosing a Suitable Mapping Style(PDF)
R. Chase Sawyer, Bethany DeSalvo, and Gabriel Amaro, U.S. Census Bureau
Measuring Community Resilience to COVID-19(PDF)
Sara Bertran de Lis, Xiaoxue Zhou, and Jessica Peker, Centers for Civic Impact at Johns Hopkins University
A Portrait of Housing in the US with Census Data(PDF)
Ajjit Narayanan, Urban Institute
A Spatial Equity Mapping Tool for Point Data(PDF)
3:50-4:00
Informal Roundtables
4:00-4:30
Yelena Ogneva-Himmelberger, Clark University
Using ACS Data in a Geographic Information Science (GIS) Course: Challenges and Opportunities(PDF)
Joshua Coutts and Artemis O'Connor, U.S. Census Bureau
2020 Census Geographies
Disclosure Avoidance Part 1: Overview of Disclosure Avoidance and Implications for the ACS
4:30-5:00
Alexandra Barker and Heidi Crawford, U.S. Census Bureau
Transforming Data Education for a Digital World
Combining ACS with Administrative Data to Create Population Estimates
Adjourn
5:00
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19
Plenary Session
11:00-12:30
Ron Jarmin, Donna Daily, and Victoria Velkoff, U.S. Census Bureau
Welcome; Update on Decennial Census Products and the ACS Program(Daily.pdf | Velkoff.pdf)
Breakout Session 5: Lightning Session
Diana Lavery, Jim Herries, Lisa Berry, Steven Aviles, Esri Inc.
Incorporating Margins of Error into Maps(PDF)
Yukiko Furuya, The EdWeek Research Center
Developing the Chance for Success Index Using the American Community Survey - The Evaluation of States in Providing Educational and Job Opportunities(PDF)
Yu Bai and Kenneth A. Dodge, Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy
Are We Ready for Extended School Closures? Evidence from the American Community Survey (2014-2018)(PDF)
Jon D. Samuels and Justin Harper, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; Michael Jadoo, Andrew Kato, Matt Russell, Michael Sverchkov, and Jerin Varghese, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Using the American Community Survey to Construct a Labor Composition Measure Suitable for the BLS MFP Account and BEA-BLS Integrated Industry-level Production Account
Tim Schock and Raeven Faye Chandler, Pennsylvania State Data Center
Measuring Isolation Risk for Seniors in Pennsylvania Counties(PDF)
Kevin Werner and Laura Wheaton, Urban Institute
Using the ACS to Estimate the Characteristics of EITC-Eligible Tax Filers in Different Geographies(PDF)
Kenneth Stewart and Casey Jones, Independent Columnists
Using the ACS to Study the Challenges Facing Vulnerable Populations in San Angelo, Texas (PDF)
Breakout Session 6: Measuring Poverty and Economic Wellbeing with ACS Data
Douglas Geverdt, National Center for Education Statistics; P. Mae Cooper and Javier Gomez, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Neighborhood Poverty Estimates Using Spatial Interpolation(PDF)
Liana Fox and Brian Glassman, U.S. Census Bureau; José Pacas, Minnesota Population Center
The Supplemental Poverty Measure Using the American Community Survey(PDF)
Lisa Manzer and Karen Segar, Center for Women's Welfare, University of Washington
A Basic Needs Budget Approach to Counting Poverty with the American Community Survey(PDF)
Brian Glassman, U.S. Census Bureau
The Census Multidimensional Deprivation Index: Revised and Updated(PDF | Additional Materials)
2:30-3:00
Nate Walters, U.S. Census Bureau
Ask the ACS Coordination Staff
Maria-Alicia Serrano, YMCA of the USA
Building the Capacity of Non-Profit Sector Professionals
Michael Starsinic and Sirius Fuller, U.S. Census Bureau
Margins of Error the ACS Way: Working with Variance Replicate Estimates(PDF)
Zach Dyer, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Using the ACS to Study the Social Determinants of Health
3:00-3:30
Stas Kolenikov, Abt Associates
ACS Weighting and Estimation
Nelson S. Colón, Antoinette Hall, and Barbara LaFleur, U.S. Census Bureau
Census State Data Centers and Census Information Centers
Amanda Klimek, U.S. Census Bureau
General ACS Questions (ACSO Outreach and Education Branch)
Christine Hartley, Yesenia Acosta, Luke Rogers, and Amel Toukabri, U.S. Census Bureau
Population Estimates Program
3:30-3:40
Breakout Session 7: Measuring Racial/Ethnic Disparities with ACS Data
3:40-5:00
Clemens Noelke and Robert Ressler, Brandeis University
Does Spatial Aggregation Affect Racial/Ethnic Inequities in Access to Neighborhood Opportunity?(PDF)
Keith Wiley, Housing Assistance Council
Exploring the High Poverty Rural Southeast(PDF)
Jing Li, Rice University; Isao Takei, Nihon University
Homeownership and Residential Density Among Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans(PDF)
Breakout Session 8: Using the ACS for Model-Based Estimates
Chris Clifton and Shawn Merrill, Purdue University; Eric Hanson, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Keith Merrill, Brandeis University
Issues, and Solutions, to Providing Formal Privacy for ACS(PDF)
David Folch, Northern Arizona University; Seth Spielman, University of Colorado Boulder
Approaches for Computing Margins of Error for User Defined Variables Based on the American Community Survey(PDF)
Corey Sparks, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Uncertainty in Life Expectancy in Small Areas When Using ACS Population Estimates(PDF)
Joseph Tuccillo, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Jessica Moehl, Research Scientist in Human Geography
Toward an Individual-Oriented Geodemographic Classification of United States Neighborhoods(PDF)
THURSDAY, MAY 20
Breakout Session 9a: Census Bureau Applications of ACS Data
11:00-11:40
Laquitta Walker, U.S. Census Bureau
Same-Sex Couple Households: 2019(PDF)
R. Chase Sawyer, U.S. Census Bureau
People and Households Represented in Each American Community Survey Data Collection Mode(PDF)
Breakout Session 9b: Using the ACS to Measure Income and Employment
11:40-12:20
David Gibson, Vocational Economics, Inc.
Use of ACS to Determine Variance in Earnings Growth by Education Level(PDF | Additional Materials)
Daniel Galpern, Samantha Joseph, Zachary Fusfeld, Felice Le-Scherban, and Amy Carroll-Scott, Drexel University School of Public Health
Assessing Racial and Economic Disparities among Philadelphia’s Essential Workers using ACS PUMS Data(PDF)
Breakout Session 10a: Using the ACS to Measure Trends Over Time
Joel Alvarez, Joseph J. Salvo, and Erica L. Maurer, NYC City Planning
The American Community Survey’s Place in 2020 and Beyond: An Approach to Reconciling Small Area ACS Data With 2020 Census Geographies(PDF)
Where Are Things Changing: Finding Trends in ACS Data(PDF | Additional Materials)
Breakout Session 10b: Using ACS Data for Journalism
Jeff South, Virginia Commonwealth University; John Finn, Christopher Newport University; Ryan Murphy, Virginian-Pilot
How Journalists Mine the ACS to Tell Data-Driven Stories(PDF)
Andrew Beveridge, Queens College and Grad Center CUNY; Ford Fessenden, Weiyi Cai, Haeyoun Park, Derek Watkins, Lauren Leatherby, Richard Oppel, Jugal Patel, and Susan Weber, New York Times
Using the ACS to Help Discover and Contextualize Important Social Trends(PDF)
12:20-1:00
1:00-2:30
Rolando Rodriguez, Zach Whitman, and Mark Asiala, U.S. Census Bureau
Disclosure Avoidance and the ACS; Data Dissemination at the Census Bureau; 2020 ACS Data Products(Rodriguez.pdf | Whitman | Asiala.pdf)
2:30-2:40
Breakout Session 11: Policy Applications Based on ACS Data
2:40-4:00
Julien Leider, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois Chicago; Jamie F. Chriqui, Division of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago
Zoning and Complete Streets Policies and Active Travel to Work(PDF)
Kelly Dwyer, Linda Giannarelli, Sarah Minton, Silke Taylor, and Ilham Dehry, Urban Institute
CCDF Eligibility in Wisconsin, Statewide and in Substate Areas: A Microsimulation Analysis(PDF | Additional Materials)
Dory Thrasher and Erica J. Mullen, New York City Department of Social Services, Office of Evaluation and Research
New York City’s SNAP Participation Rate(PDF)
Breakout Session 12: Using the ACS to Study Racial/Ethnic Subgroups
Pei Yang Hsieh, Taylor Lampe, Alexander Chen, Ben R. Spoer, Lorna Thorpe, and Marc Gourevitch, Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Miriam Gofine, Vilcek Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, NYU Langone Health
Mapping Census Tract-Level Age and Racial/Ethnic Breakdown on the City Health Dashboard Using American Community Survey Data(PDF)
Matthew Berman, University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research; Ruoqing Wang-Cendejas, University of Southern California
Rural-Urban Migration of Alaska Native Peoples: Changing Patterns and Causes(PDF)
Jeanne Gobalet, Shelley Lapkoff, and Robin Merrill, Lapkoff & Gobalet Demographic Research, Inc.
All Asians are Not Alike: Using ACS and Administrative Data Estimates of Asian Subgroups in Political Redistricting(PDF)
4:00