Newsroom Archive

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today the public release schedule for the official income, poverty and health insurance estimates for 2011 from the Current Population Survey (CPS), as well as estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS and CPS are surveys designed to capture socio-economic and housing data from a sample of the population.

STATISTICS RELEASE SCHEDULE

2011 income, poverty and health insurance estimates — Current Population Survey — These national estimates will be released Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012. Additional information regarding the time and format of the release will be included in a separate announcement closer to the release date. As is standard procedure, there will be no embargo of these statistics.

2011 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release one-year estimates from the 2011 ACS on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012. The ACS produces estimates for numerous social, economic and housing characteristics including language, education, the commute to work, employment, mortgage status and rent, as well as income, poverty and health insurance. Embargo subscribers will have access on an embargoed basis to the estimates beginning Tuesday, Sept. 18. Estimates will be available for the nation, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, every congressional district, every metropolitan area, and all counties and places with populations of 65,000 or more. In June 2011, the ACS annual sample size was increased from 2.9 million to 3.54 million addresses, which should result in an improvement in the reliability of the estimates.

On Sept. 20, the Census Bureau will also release the first in a series of short briefs that analyze a wide range of topics. Additional briefs will follow. Each year, the Census Bureau varies the topics of these short briefs.

2009-2011 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release the three-year estimates from the 2009-2011 ACS on Oct. 25, 2012. Embargo subscribers will have access to the estimates up to 48 hours in advance of the public release. The estimates will cover all geographic areas with populations of 20,000 or more. They will include the first set of three-year estimates for field of degree of bachelor's degree holders.

2007-2011 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release the five-year ACS estimates covering 2007-2011 on Dec. 6, 2012. Embargo subscribers will have access to the estimates on Dec. 4. These estimates are available for all areas regardless of population size, down to the block group.

The ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files for each of the three sets of statistics will be released one to two months after each public release.

ABOUT THE ANNUAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SUPPLEMENT (ASEC) TO THE CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS)

The Current Population Survey serves as the nation’s primary source of statistics on labor force characteristics. The ASEC provides the official annual statistics on the nation’s income and poverty levels as well as statistics on age, sex, race, marital status, educational attainment, employee benefits, work schedules, school enrollment, health insurance, noncash benefits and migration. The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics have conducted the CPS for more than 50 years. The statistics are used by government policymakers as important indicators of our nation's economy and for planning and evaluating many government programs.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY (ACS)

The American Community Survey is the only source of annual small-area estimates available on a wide range of important social and economic characteristics for all communities in the country. In addition to income, poverty and health insurance, these topics include education, language ability, the foreign-born, marital status, migration, homeownership, the cost and value of our homes to name a few. Businesses use the ACS to create jobs, plan for the future, establish new business and grow our economy. Because the ACS provides a wide range of important statistics on housing, social and economic characteristics for all communities in the country, governments at all levels use the ACS for policy making and to determine where to provide services. The ACS was an innovation supported and funded by Congress to give the nation small-area annual estimates that were once only available every 10 years from the census “long form.” All survey responses are strictly confidential and protected by law.