When is it best to use American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year or 5-year estimates?

When choosing which American Community Survey (ACS) estimate to use, you want to consider both the population size of the data you are seeking, as well as the currency of the data and reliability/precision.

• 1-year estimates provide data for areas with populations of 65,000 or more and offer the most current data.
• 1-year Supplemental Estimates provide data for areas with populations of 20,000 or more and offer the most current data.
• 5-year estimates provide data for all areas regardless of population. While data is less current than the 1-year estimates, 5-year estimates have a larger sample size making these estimates more precise and reliable.

*3-year estimates were discontinued, but remain available for 2011-2013 and prior. These estimates provide data for populations of 20,000 or more, and have a larger sample size than 1-year estimates making them more reliable, but less reliable than 5-year estimates.

Learn more about the ACS estimates by visiting the When to Use 1-year or 5-year Estimates page.