Table 10. Measures of Error for County Estimates by Use of Pairs of Ratio-Correlation Variables

Source:  U.S. Bureau of the Census
Internet Release date:  June 20, 1997

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             |        |          |                               MEASURES OF DIFFERENCE
             |        |          |------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
             |        |          |  Mean Algebraic   |   Mean Absolute   |                   |
             | Number |   Number |   Percent Error   |   Percent Error   |       Median      |  90th Percentile
             |     of |       of |-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------- 
Variables    | States | Counties |    With | Without |    With | Without |    With | Without |    With | Without
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Sch & IRS          25       1447       1.8       2.3       3.2       3.9       2.4       3.1       6.6       7.8
Sch & Dea          25       1429       2.2       1.7       3.4       3.6       2.8       2.6       6.9       7.5
Sch & Bir          23       1274       2.0       2.0       3.3       3.7       2.6       2.7       6.7       7.7
Sch & AUT          20       1106       2.1       1.9       3.4       3.5       2.8       2.6       6.8       7.3
Med & Sch          19        971       1.3       2.4       3.2       3.7       2.5       2.8       6.6       7.4
Med & IRS          18        970       2.3       1.8       3.6       3.4       3.0       2.6       7.2       7.1
Med & Dea          17        886       1.9       2.0       3.2       3.7       2.6       2.8       6.4       7.6
Med & Bir          16        843       1.6       2.2       3.3       3.6       2.5       2.8       6.7       7.3
Med & AUT          15        895       2.2       1.9       3.5       3.5       2.8       2.6       6.9       7.2
IRS & AUT          14        753       1.9       2.0       3.4       3.5       2.8       2.6       6.7       7.3
Dea & IRS          14       1121       1.9       2.0       3.2       3.7       2.4       2.9       6.7       7.5
Dea & AUT          13        971       1.9       2.0       3.0       3.8       2.4       2.9       6.3       7.7
Bir & IRS          10        731       2.0       2.0       3.2       3.6       2.6       2.7       6.8       7.2
Bir & Dea           7        561       2.1       2.0       3.5       3.5       3.0       2.6       7.0       7.1
Bir & AUT           6        530       1.3       2.2       3.1       3.6       2.4       2.8       6.5       7.2
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(Sch=School Enrollment, IRS=IRS Returns, Dea=Deaths, Bir=Births, AUT=Auto Registration, Med=Medicare Enrollment)