September 22, 2005
Headline News
Your Input Needed! The U.S. Census Bureau is evaluating its online presence and its products and services to you to help us make improvements to the website. If you haven't already done so, please take about 10 minutes to tell us about your use of Census Bureau data and your visits to our website. Thank you for your feedback.
Privately Owned Housing Starts in August Were at a Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate of 2,009,000, 1.3 Percent Below the Revised July 2005 Figure of 2,035,000. (Released September 20, 2005)
Nosotros: Hispanos en los Estados Unidos. [PDF 652k] (Released September 19, 2005)
County Business Patterns for the U.S. and Every State. (Released September 16, 2005)
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Information. (Released September 15, 2005)
U.S. Total Business Sales for July Were $1,011.8 Billion, Up 1.1 Percent From Last Month. Month-End Inventories Were $1,270.6 Billion, Down 0.5 Percent From Last Month. (Released September 15, 2005)
Facts for Features: Veteran's Day 2005. (Released September 15, 2005)
U.S. Information Services Sector Revenue for the Second Quarter of 2005, Not Adjusted for Seasonal Variation, Holiday or Trading-Day Differences, or Price Changes, Was $235.5 Billion, an Increase of 3.5 Percent From the First Quarter of 2005. (Released September 14, 2005)
U.S. Retail and Food Service Sales for July Reached $350.1 Billion, Down 2.1 Percent From the Previous Month. (Released September 14, 2005)
2.7 Million People in the Path of Hurricane Ophelia, Census Bureau Estimates. (Released September 14, 2005)
The Nation's International Deficit in Goods and Services Decreased to $57.9 Billion in July From $59.5 Billion (Revised) in June, as Exports Increased and Imports Decreased. (Released September, 13, 2005)
What It's Worth: Field of Training and Economic Status: 2001. (Released September 13, 2005)
Spanish Questionnaire and Internet Responses To Be Tested Nationally. (Released September 12, 2005)
Manufacturing Corporations' Seasonally Adjusted After-Tax Profits Averaged 7.2 Cents Per Dollar of Sales for the Second Quarter of 2005, Up 0.2 (+/- 0.1) Cents From 7.0 Cents of the First Quarter of 2005. (Released September 12, 2005)
Still Time to Sign Up!
Understanding Federal Statistics (UFS) is a four-day, computer-based workshop at the U.S Bureau of Labor Statististics Conference and Training Center. Openings still available for December 5-8, 2005. Visit our web site for registration information.
Fact of the Day
Computer Hardware Led All Merchandise Lines in Online Sales in 2003
Computer hardware made up 17 percent of e-commerce sales, highest among merchandise lines in 2003. Total sales for this line was $6.7 billion. In addition, over 28 percent of all computer hardware sales were online. This information comes from the Census Bureau's annual e-commerce statistics collected in the Annual Retail Trade Survey.
The Census Bureau also releases more up-to-date information on e-commerce retail sales as a whole, but not by merchandise line. The latest data are for the 2nd quarter of 2005. You can find the information on online sales by clicking on "E-Stat" on the Census Bureau home page.
Hot Tip
FIPS Codes, Latitude, Longitude, and More!
Do you need a FIPS code for a county subdivision? Or the latitude and longitude? Total land and water area? Find this information for census tracts, places, counties, county subdivisions, and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (no FIPS for ZCTAs) by clicking on "Gazetteer" on the Census Bureau home page (next to "Geography").
For an easy to use website showing FIPS codes for various geographic entities, check out the Missouri State Data Center's "Cure for the Common Codes."
Recently Released
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Information. General, economic, social, and demographic statistics for areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina.
Census 2000
Nosotros: Hispanos en los Estados Unidos. [PDF 652k] Spanish version of Census 2000 Special Report available online in PDF and in print free from the Customer Services Center. Part of a series of Census 2000 special reports, presenting data on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of specific Hispanic groups.
American Community Survey: 2004. New data and more extensive reference information from the 2004 American Community Survey available online. Includes demographic, housing, social, and economic information.
First American Community Survey Report Released. Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey [PDF; 1.4 MB]. Provides analytical information on topics collected in the 2004 American Community Survey (ACS).
Census 2000 Shows 12.9 Percent of Population Reports Race as Black. We the People: Blacks in the United States [PDF; 504 KB]. Report available online in PDF or in print from the Customer Services Center showing a comprehensive demographic, social, and economic portrait of the more than 36 million people who identified themselves as Black or African American in Census 2000. The special report also discusses differences between men and women within the Black population at the national level.
Population
Income, Poverty, Health Insurance Coverage. Official poverty and income statistics based on information collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). Available as downloadable tables, as a PDF [3.64 MB] report, or as a printed report from the Customer Services Center. Also in microdata form online or on CD-ROM from the Customer Services Center (Product ID; C8-C05-ALLF-06-US1; $55).
Consolidated File Shows County Population Estimates on CD-ROM! CD-ROM (C2-P04-CCES-01-US1; $50) containing a single file (CSV format) showing county population estimates, with a breakdown for age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, for the years 2000 to 2004. In the catalog, click on "People" and then on "Population Estimates." The county estimates also are available at no charge online by state.
Population Change in Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: 1990-2003. [PDF; 1.22 MB] Report available online in PDF and in print from the Customer Services Center examining the populations of U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, focusing on the most populous and fastest-growing areas. Analysis uses the December 2003 Office of Management and Budget's definitions of core-based statistical areas.
What's It Worth: Field of Training and Economic Status: 2001. [PDF; 650 KB] Report available online in PDF and for free from the Customer Services Center providing an update on the value of an education, with national earnings data for men and women by level of educational attainment. Data provided by race and Hispanic origin as well. Includes a section on the amount of time it takes people to complete degrees beyond high school.
Latest Economic Indicators
Quarterly Financial Report for Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade: 2nd Quarter. Press release showing up-to-date aggregate statistics on U.S. manufacturing, mining, and wholesale trade corporations.
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: July 2005. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption.
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services: August 2005. Press release presenting advance monthly estimates of retail store sales by kind-of-business groups. Report includes seasonally adjusted estimates and percentage changes for major kind-of-business groups.
Quarterly Services Survey: Second Quarter. Press release showing quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the percentage of revenue by class of customer for the services industries.
Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: July 2005. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers.
New Residential Construction: August 2005. Press release showing data for housing starts and completions and building permits.
Economic Census and Surveys
Business County by County. County Business Patterns: 2003, available online as downloadable files, PDF reports, or in print from the Customer Services Center. Annual data on establishments, employment, and establishment size for every state and county. Eventually released on CD-ROM.
Attend a Seminar on Using the 2002 Economic Census. Attend one of the Census Bureau seminars and workshops on the 2002 Economic Census in cities around the country. Runs through the summer. Sessions are free but you must register.
Learn About Business in Your State, City, County, and Metro Area. Find out the facts in 2002 Economic Census Geographic Area Series. Series of reports available online in PDF presenting data from the economic census for each state, the District of Columbia, and the United States. New! Downloadable "drill-down" tables for easier data manipulation. Each state report presents, for establishments of firms with payroll, general statistics on number of establishments, revenue, payroll, and employment by kind of business for the state, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, counties, and places with 2,500 inhabitants or more. Reports also available for sale on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center. Eventually available on DVD.
Advance Report Examines Production Capacity of U.S. Domestic Manufacturing Plants in Fourth Quarter 2004. Current Industrial Report available online explains that U.S. domestic manufacturing plants used an estimated 69 percent (+/- percentage point) of their full production capacity for the fourth quarter of 2004. Read more in Manufacturers' Utilization of Plant Capacity: 2004 [PDF; 111KB].
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news:
Grandparents Day 2005 (September 11)
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)
Unmarried and Single Americans Week (September 18-24)
Halloween 2005 (October 31, 2005)
American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veteran's Day 2005 (November 11)
Upcoming Releases
Census 2000
Data From Census 2000 and Previous Censuses Featured in Upcoming Atlas. The Census Bureau is publishing the Census Atlas of the United States, a thematic map book available for purchase in 2006 from the U.S. Government Printing Office, the Customer Services Center, and major commercial bookstores.
Poverty Status of Families by Type and by U.S. Cititzenship Status of the Householder: 2003. Four national-level tables from the American Community Survey present poverty data on the foreign-born by the following characteristics: citizenship status, year of entry, region of birth, and family type.
Population
Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2003. Information on households with computers and Internet connections -- nationally, regionally and by state. Specifically, the demographics of who's online and how they're using their computers and the Internet.
Indicators of Marriage and Fertility in the United States From the American Community Survey: 2000 to 2003. An analysis of marriage and fertility patterns nationwide as well as for each state. Examines various socioeconomic characteristics of married couples, unmarried-partner households, and women who have given birth in the last year. Includes first-ever Census Bureau tabulations, by state, on median age at first marriage.
Participation of Mothers in Government Assistance Programs: 2001. Examines the decline in participation in government assistance programs by mothers following the enactment of welfare reform. Includes national-level data by race and Hispanic origin, marital status, educational attainment and job training status, income and poverty status, receipt of child support, and age.
Economic Census and Surveys
2002 Economic Census of Island Areas: Puerto Rico: Manufacturing. Report available online in PDF or for sale on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center showing information on the number of businesses and employees, payroll, value of shipments, and other data pertaining to manufacturing in Puerto Rico. A construction report is scheduled for release later this year, and a geographic areas report will contain information for other sectors of Puerto Rico's economy covered in the 2002 Economic Census.
Nonemployer Statistics: 2003. An update on the vast majority of businesses in the United States: those without paid employees. Detailed Internet tables show the number of such establishments and their receipts in nearly 300 industries for the United States, states, counties, and metropolitan areas.
Economic Indicators
New Residential Sales: August 2005. Press release reporting new one-family houses sold and for sale is scheduled for release September 27, 2005.
Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: August 2005. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators is scheduled for release September 28, 2005.
Construction Put in Place: August 2005. Press release showing estimates of the value of total new construction put in place by type of construction and by type of owner is scheduled for release October 3, 2005.
Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: August 2005. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators is scheduled for release October 4, 2005.
Governments
2004 State and Local Government Employee-Retirement Systems. Annual data on revenues, expenditures, financial assets, and membership for public employee-retirement systems. Data are shown for individual retirement systems as well as aggregately at the national, state, and local levels.
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news:
Thanksgiving Day
September 08, 2005
Headline News
Your Input Needed! The U.S. Census Bureau is evaluating its online presence and its products and services to you to help us make improvements to the website. Please take about 10 minutes to tell us about your use of Census Bureau data and your visits to our website (www.census.gov). Thank you for your feedback.
Facts for Features: Hispanic Heritage Month 2005 (September 15-October 15). (Released September 8, 2005)
July 2005 Sales of Merchant Wholesalers Were $298.7 Billion, Up 0.5 Percent From Last Month. End-of-Month Inventories Were $352.0 Billion, Down 0.1 Percent From Last Month. (Released September 8, 2005)
Facts for Features: Grandparents Day 2005 (September 11). (Released September 6, 2005)
Fast Facts on Areas Affected by Hurricane Katrina (Revised). (Released September 6, 2005)
Census Bureau Estimates Nearly 10 Million Residents Along Gulf Coast Hit by Hurricane Katrina. (Released September 2, 2005)
Census 2000 Shows 12.9 Percent of Population Reports Race as Black. (Released September 1, 2005) [PDF; 504 KB]
Total Construction Activity for July 2005 ($1,099.3 Billion) Was Nearly the Same as the Revised June 2005 Figure ($1,099.7 Billion). (Released September 1, 2005)
Facts for Features: Halloween (October 31). (Released August 31, 2005)
Advance Report Examines Production Capacity of U.S. Domestic Manufacturing Plants in Fourth Quarter 2004. (Released August 30, 2005) [PDF; 111 KB]
Facts for Features: Labor Day 2005 (September 5). (Released August 30, 2005)
Income Stable, Poverty Rate Increases, Percentage of Americans Without Health Insurance Unchanged. (Released August 30, 2005)
New Orders for Manufactured Goods in July Decreased $7.5 Billion or 1.9 Percent to $387.8 Billion. (Released August 30, 2005).
Still Time to Sign Up!
Understanding Federal Statistics (UFS) is a four-day, computer-based workshop at the U.S Bureau of Labor Statististics Conference and Training Center. Openings still available for:
September 12-15, 2005
December 5-8, 2005
Visit our web site for registration information.
Fact of the Day
South Carolina Has Highest Proportion of Mobile Homes
About 19 percent of the housing units in South Carolina are mobile homes, the highest of any state, according to results from the 2004 American Community Survey. North Carolina (16.8 percent), New Mexico (16.6 percent), West Virginia (16.0 percent), and Alabama (14.7 percent) round out the top five. The U.S. average is 7.1 percent. This is one of the many ranking tables based on the 2004 American Community Survey (see "Hot Tip"). Three Florida counties -- Polk, Pasco, and Lake -- lead large counties (population: 250,000 or over) across the U.S. in the percent of mobile homes; about a quarter of homes there are mobile. The ranking tables can be found in the American FactFinder; pay close attention to the upper and lower bounds shown in the tables, which may greatly affect rankings.
Hot Tip
New Ranking Tables From the American Community Survey
One of the major advantages of the American Community Survey (ACS) is the wealth of small-area data available on a yearly basis. To help you put the data for such areas into perspective, we have dramatically increased the number of ranking tables for states, counties, and places, with the release of the 2004 data in late August. More of the ranking tables cover counties and places than before. To find these and other data from the 2004 ACS, go to the American FactFinder and select "Data Sets." Then select the "2000-2004 American Community Survey" tab and select the kind of table you want; you'll find the ranking tables here. In using the ranking tables, be sure to note the upper and lower bound shown in each table; they may greatly influence the rankings and apparent differences in the rank order.
Recently Released
Census 2000
American Community Survey: 2004. New data and more extensive reference information from the 2004 American Community Survey available online. Includes demographic, housing, social, and economic information.
First American Community Survey Report Released. Income, Earnings, and Poverty From the 2004 American Community Survey [PDF; 1.4 MB] looks at information on income, earnings and poverty collected in the 2004 American Community Survey (ACS).
Census 2000 Shows 12.9 Percent of Population Reports Race as Black. We the People: Blacks in the United States [PDF; 504 KB]. Report available online in PDF or in print from the Customer Services Center showing a comprehensive demographic, social and economic portrait of the more than 36 million people who identified themselves as Black or African American in Census 2000. The special report also discusses differences between men and women within the Black population at the national level.
Learn About U.S. Households in Examining American Household Composition: 1990 and 2000 [PDF; 1.6 MB]. Part of a series of Census 2000 special reports, this report addresses the growing complexity of U.S. households and alternative ways to highlight that complexity. Uses a "partner" or "nonpartner" householder classification and measures change in these categories for the first time, including by whether or not children are present in the household. Also, includes the first tabulations of households by the number of generations present. Available online in PDF or as a printed report from the Customer Services Center.
Population
Income, Poverty, Health Insurance Coverage. Official poverty and income statistics based on information collected in the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). Estimates by characteristics such as race, Hispanic origin, nativity, and region. Other topics include earnings of year round full-time workers, poverty among families, and health insurance coverage of children. Available as downloadable tables, as a PDF (Size; 3.64 MB) report, or as a printed report from the Customer Services Center. Also in microdata form online or on CD-ROM from the Customer Services Center (Product ID; C8-C05-ALLF-06-US1; $55).
Consolidated File Shows County Population Estimates on CD-ROM! CD-ROM (C2-P04-CCES-01-US1; $50) containing a single file (CSV format) showing county population estimates, with a breakdown for age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, for the years 2000 to 2004. In the catalog, click on "People" and then on "Population Estimates." The county estimates also are available at no charge online by state.
Latest Economic Indicators
Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories and Orders: July 2005. Press release showing advance information on key business indicators.
Construction Put in Place: July 2005. Press release showing estimates of the value of total new construction put in place by type of construction and by type of owner.
Monthly Wholesale Trade: July 2005. Press release showing estimates for sales, inventories on a non-LIFO ("last in-first out") basis, and stock-sales ratios for merchant wholesalers by three-digit major kind-of-business groups.
Economic Census and Surveys
2003 County Business Patterns. Internet files and PDF reports containing a variety of information on business in more than 1,100 industries for the nation, states, and counties. Includes data on the number of establishments and employees and quarterly and annual payroll. Reports also available for sale on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center. Eventually available for purchase on CD-ROM.
Attend a Seminar on Using the 2002 Economic Census. The Census Bureau has scheduled seminars and workshops on the 2002 Economic Census in cities around the country. Runs through the summer. Sessions are free but you must register.
Learn About Business in Your State and County. Find out the facts in 2002 Economic Census Geographic Area Series. Series of reports available online in PDF presenting data from the economic census for each state, the District of Columbia, and the United States. New! Downloadable "drill-down" tables for easier data manipulation. Each state report presents, for establishments of firms with payroll, general statistics on number of establishments, revenue, payroll, and employment by kind of business for the state, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, counties, and places with 2,500 inhabitants or more. Reports also available for sale on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center. Eventually available on DVD.
Advance Report Examines Production Capacity of U.S. Domestic Manufacturing Plants in Fourth Quarter 2004. Current Industrial Report available online explains that U.S. domestic manufacturing plants used an estimated 69 percent (+/- percentage point) of their full production capaity for the fourth quarter of 2004. Read more in Manufacturers' Utilization of Plant Capacity: 2004. [PDF; 111 KB]
Governments
Individual State Descriptions: 2002. [PDF; 4.79 MB] Report available online in PDF or for sale in print from the Customer Services Center based on the 2002 Census of Governments providing information about the organization of state and local governments. There is a separate summary for each state and the District of Columbia. The summaries are divided according to the five basic types of local governments recognized for the U.S. Census Bureau's classification of government units -- county, municipal, township, school district, and special district governments.
Housing
American Housing Survey for Selected Metropolitan Areas in 2004. Separate reports for 13 metropolitan areas available online in PDF or for sale in print from the Customer Services Center. Reports provide data on characteristics of homes and their residents, e.g., presence of air-conditioning, housing costs and overall satisfaction of residents with their neighborhood. Also available for download in various file formats. Microdata files are also accessible.
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news:
Grandparents Day 2005 (September 11)
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)
Unmarried and Single Americans Week (September 18-24)
Upcoming Releases
Census 2000
Data From Census 2000 and Previous Censuses Featured in Upcoming Atlas. The Census Bureau is publishing the Census Atlas of the United States, a thematic map book available for purchase ($95) later this fall from the U.S. Government Printing Office, the Customer Services Center, and major commercial bookstores.
Poverty Status of Families by Type and by U.S. Cititzenship Status of the Householder: 2003. Four national-level tables from the American Community Survey present poverty data on the foreign-born by the following characteristics: citizenship status, year of entry, region of birth, and family type.
Population
Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2003. Information on households with computers and Internet connections -- nationally, regionally and by state. Specifically, the demographics of who's online and how they're using their computers and the Internet.
Indicators of Marriage and Fertility in the United States From the American Community Survey: 2000 to 2003. An analysis of marriage and fertility patterns nationwide as well as for each state. Examines various socioeconomic characteristics of married couples, unmarried-partner households, and women who have given birth in the last year. Includes first-ever Census Bureau tabulations, by state, on median age at first marriage.
Participation of Mothers in Government Assistance Programs: 2001. Examines the decline in participation in government assistance programs by mothers following the enactment of welfare reform. Includes national-level data by race and Hispanic origin, marital status, educational attainment and job training status, income and poverty status, receipt of child support, and age.
Population Change in Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: 1990-2003. Report examining the populations of U.S. metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, focusing on the most populous and fastest-growing areas. Analysis uses the December 2003 Office of Management and Budget's definitions of core-based statistical areas.
What's It Worth: Field of Training and Economic Status: 2001. An update on the value of an education, with national earnings data for men and women by level of educational attainment. Data provided by race and Hispanic origin as well. Includes a section on the amount of time it takes people to complete degrees beyond high school.
Economic Census and Surveys
2002 Economic Census of Island Areas: Puerto Rico: Manufacturing. Report available online in PDF or for sale on a print-on-demand basis from the Customer Services Center showing Information on the number of businesses and employees, payroll, value of shipments and other information pertaining to the manufacturing sector of Puerto Rico's economy. A construction report is scheduled for release later this year, and a geographic areas report will contain information for all other sectors of Puerto Rico's economy covered in the 2002 Economic Census.
Nonemployer Statistics: 2003. An update on the vast majority of businesses in the United States: those without paid employees. Detailed Internet tables show the number of such establishments and their receipts in nearly 300 industries for the United States, states, counties, and metropolitan areas.
Economic Indicators
Quarterly Financial Report for Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade: 2nd Quarter. Press release showing up-to-date aggregate statistics on U.S. manufacturing, mining, and wholesale trade corporations is scheduled for release September 12, 2005.
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: July 2005. Press release showing monthly exports, general imports (including data by country), and limited data on imports for consumption is scheduled for release September 13, 2005.
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services: August 2005. Press release presenting advance monthly estimates of retail store sales by kind-of-business groups. Report includes seasonally adjusted estimates and percentage changes for major kind-of-business groups is scheduled for release September 14, 2005.
Quarterly Services Survey: Second Quarter. Press release showing quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the percentage of revenue by class of customer for the Services industries is scheduled for release September 14, 2005.
Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: July 2005. Press release showing sales, inventories, and inventories-to-sales ratios for the combined domestic activities of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers is scheduled for release September 15, 2005.
New Residential Construction: August 2005. Press release showing data for housing starts and completions and building permits is scheduled for release September 20, 2005.
Reference and Compendia
Facts for Features. Collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news:
American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veteran's Day
Thanksgiving Day
