EMBARGOED UNTIL 12:01 A.M., EDT, JULY 28, 2000 (FRIDAY)

Decennial Media Relations                                   CB00-CN.49
301-457-3691/301-457-3620 (fax)
301-457-1037 (TDD)
e-mail: 2000usa@census.gov 

Cheryl Chambers
301-457-3572

       Data Released From Census Bureau Survey That May 
                 Replace Next Census Long Form

  The Commerce Department's Census Bureau today released 1999 preliminary
data from the American Community Survey a major new survey that, pending
congressional funding, is slated to replace the census long form in 2010.

  Nancy Gordon, associate director for Demographic Programs, said, "We
have been pleased with the successful operations of the American Community
Survey over the first years of its development. Since 1996, we've
conducted the survey on time, within budget and with a 97 percent overall
response rate. Now, it is exciting to be able to get data from the
American Community Survey out to the majority of our initial survey sites
for the first time."

  The new release of American Community Survey data is from 21 sites
across the country. When fully implemented in every county in the nation
in 2003, the survey will encompass about 3 million households a year.
Beginning in 2004, data will be available every year for areas and
population groups of 65,000 or more. Multi-year data will be available for
smaller areas beginning in 2006. By 2008, even the smallest areas, with
populations below 20,000 (such as county subdivisions and census tracts)
will have five-year averages.

  The 1999 data are available on the Census Bureau's Internet site in 
narrative and tabular profiles for each survey site at 
http://www.census.gov/acs/www.  More than 100 detailed 
tables also are at http://factfinder.census.gov.

  The 21 sites and cities within the sites for which data are available
are:

  New data in this release include the responses to a question about
grandparents who serve as the primary caregivers for their grandchildren
and the responses of people who selected two or more race categories.
While these new questions match those on the Census 2000 questionnaires,
the early glimpse they provide of how residents respond to these questions
is limited to the 21 sites and does not represent the country as a whole.

  Gordon said while "we are excited about the long-term opportunities that
American Community Survey data offer, users need to recognize that the
survey and its data are still in development. To take best advantage of
these new data, we hope users will become familiar with the methodology
that underlies the American Community Survey and make sure that they look
at the survey estimates in the context of the margin of error associated
with each estimate, which appears on each table."

The Census Bureau guarantees that the answers given on census forms are
kept strictly confidential. Information collected in Census 2000 will
provide local area data needed for communities to receive federal program
funds and for private sector and community planning.