Webinar: ACS Operations Update and Data User Applications in Response to the Pandemic

The coronavirus has had wide-ranging effects on the social, economic, and physical well-being of the U.S. population. The American Community Survey (ACS) can help guide decision-making related to the COVID-19 pandemic. How has ACS data collection been impacted by stay-at-home orders? And how are data users applying ACS data to inform responses to the pandemic in hard-hit areas?

In this webinar, organized by PRB in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, Donna Daily, Chief of the ACS Office at the Census Bureau, provided a brief update on ACS operations during the pandemic. Then five ACS data users briefly summarized how they are using ACS data to inform policymakers, planners, and health officials about COVID-19-related issues in their areas.

Abigail Schachter  (Epidemiologist, Public Health-Seattle & King County, WA) gave a presentation on Using ACS Data to Identify Communities at Risk Due to COVID-19 in King County.

Tigran Avoundjian (Epidemiologist, Public Health-Seattle & King County, WA) summarized new online resources to examine differences in COVID-19 outcomes by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography in King County.

Joel Alvarez (Senior Demographic Analyst, NYC Department of City Planning) gave a presentation on ACS Data Use Cases for New York City’s COVID-19 Crisis.

Lance George (Director of Research and Information, Housing Assistance Council) provided an overview of rural housing issues in the time of COVID-19.

Allison Plyer (Chief Demographer, The Data Center, Southeast Louisiana) gave a presentation on ACS data for Mitigating the Spread of COVID-19 Plus Comparisons to Other Early COVID Hot Spots.

Their presentations were followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. 

Related resources:

• U.S. Census Bureau: Census COVID-19 Data Hub
• King County, WA: COVID-19 Vulnerable Communities Data Tool
• King County, WA: Economic, Social, and Overall Health Impacts
• NYC Department of City Planning: Map Reliability Calculator
• The Housing Assistance Council: Rural Housing in the Time of COVID-19
• The Data Center (Southeast Louisiana): Demographics of New Orleans and Early COVID-19 Hot Spots in the U.S.
• The Data Center (Southeast Louisiana): Who Are the Essential Workers Keeping the New Orleans Region Going?

For more examples of ACS applications related to COVID-19:

The applications presented in this webinar represent a small fraction of ACS data user applications to address the social, economic, health, housing, and demographic effects of COVID-19. In May, PRB conducted a survey of ACS data users to collect examples of how ACS data are being used to guide decision making related to the pandemic. Selected responses to the survey from data users who were willing to share their applications are posted on the ACS Online Community website.