The 2025 ACS Data Users Conference will now be a one-day conference—held virtually—on May 29, 2025

  • RE: Historical Data

    Hi Jake,
    You could also access PUMA-level data from the 1990 and 2000 Census Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files, which are available through the IPUMS website: https://usa.ipums.org/usa/

  • Design Factor for Poverty Status

    Hi, 

     

    I'm looking to cross tabulate a few different variables with a dichotomous poverty variable (below threshold or not) in the 1-year PUMS.  I derived the poverty status variable by recoding the income to poverty ratio.  Unfortunately the statistical…

  • How to Cite ACS

    Hi, I'm looking for guidance on how to properly cite the ACS, specifically PUMS micro data. Considering there are so many ways to access and slice and dice the data, there are probably many ways to cite it as well.

    I found this recommended citation…

  • RE: Calculating MOEs from derived ACS estimates

    I use the PUMS data with replicate weights for the MOE calculations.

  • RE: Group quarter population

    Good morning Grigoris -

    Yes--if you can find a GQ table to pair up with the total population table, subtracting the two will give you an estimate of household population for that group (e.g. Hispanic/Latino total minus Hispanic/Latino GQ = Hispanic/Latino…

  • RE: (lack of) transportation among older adults

    Gwendolyn: Table B25045 provides the number of SENIOR HOUSEHOLDERS with 0, 1, 2, 3, etc, vehicles in the household. The 18,013 is an estimate of senior households, not all persons age 65+ with zero vehicles in the household. It's a conservative estimate…

  • RE: Question of ACS 5 year Income

    Hi Gan,

    My understanding is that the summary tables are already adjusted into 2014 dollars. I'm assuming they would have to use the same adjustments that users have to use when working with PUMS data, if you wanted to create your own tables not published…

  • RE: microdata and filter by MSA

    Yes, the policy for geographic information in public use microdata is to identify no sub-state entities other than Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) which are specialized units required to have at least 100,000 residents each, helping to protect the ide…

  • RE: 2012-2016 Language - no local geographies

    I came across this problem yesterday and was quite surprised in light of a Census Bureau press release that featured the break out of additional languages in this table. I'll be able to work around this problem once the PUMS data is available, but it…

  • RE: Mean vs median in income and age

    Dear Tom,

    Tim is correct if you want to know "how much money is floating around in a community" use average (mean) and multiply by head count.  If you want to know what the  amount of money that a "typical" household or person has use median.…

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