U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Skip Header
Partners Researchers Educators Survey Respondents
News NAICS Codes Jobs About Us Contact Us Help
Topics
Data & Maps
Surveys & Programs
Resource Library
Search data, events, resources, and more
Topics
Browse our topics and subtopics to find information and data.
View All Topics and Subtopics Index A to Z
Age and Sex Business and Economy Education Emergency Management Employment Families and Living Arrangements Geography Health Hispanic Origin Housing
Income and Poverty International Trade Migration/Geographic Mobility Population Population Estimates Public Sector Race Redistricting Research Voting and Registration
Data & Maps
Access demographic, economic and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Explore census data with visualizations and view tutorials.
Explore data on data.census.gov View all data resources
Census Academy Combining Data Data Equity Tools Data Tools and Apps Developers Experimental Data Products
Interactive Maps Mapping Files Related Sites Software Tables Training and Workshops Visualizations
Surveys & Programs
Our surveys provide periodic and comprehensive statistics about the nation. This data is critical for government programs, policies, and decision-making.
View all Surveys & Programs
2020 Census 2030 Census American Community Survey (ACS) American Housing Survey (AHS) Annual Business Survey (ABS) Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) Census of Governments County Business Patterns (CBP) Current Population Survey (CPS)
Economic Census International Programs Metro and Micro Areas Population Estimates Population Projections Small Area Income and Poverty Statistics of U.S. Businesses Survey of Business Owners Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
Resource Library
Browse our collection of stories and more.
View all library resources Glossary
America Counts: Stories Audio Blogs By the Numbers Fact Sheets Infographics and Visualizations
Photos Publications Spotlights Training (Census Academy) Videos Working Papers
Partners Researchers Educators Survey Respondents
News NAICS Codes Jobs About Us Contact Us Help
View All Topics and Subtopics Index A to Z
Age and Sex Business and Economy Education Emergency Management Employment Families and Living Arrangements Geography Health Hispanic Origin Housing Income and Poverty International Trade Migration/Geographic Mobility Population Population Estimates Public Sector Race Redistricting Research Voting and Registration
Explore data on data.census.gov View all data resources
Census Academy Combining Data Data Equity Tools Data Tools and Apps Developers Experimental Data Products Interactive Maps Mapping Files Related Sites Software Tables Training and Workshops Visualizations
View all Surveys & Programs
2020 Census 2030 Census American Community Survey (ACS) American Housing Survey (AHS) Annual Business Survey (ABS) Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) Census of Governments County Business Patterns (CBP) Current Population Survey (CPS) Economic Census International Programs Metro and Micro Areas Population Estimates Population Projections Small Area Income and Poverty Statistics of U.S. Businesses Survey of Business Owners Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
View all library resources Glossary
America Counts: Stories Audio Blogs By the Numbers Fact Sheets Infographics and Visualizations Photos Publications Spotlights Training (Census Academy) Videos Working Papers

Geography and the American Community Survey: What Data Users Need to Know

Skip Navigation
Within Handbooks

Geography and the American Community Survey: What Data Users Need to Know

Geography and the American Community Survey What Data Users Need to Know
Download Geography and the American Community Survey What Data Users Need to Know [PDF - 6.7 MB]

Geography plays an important role in all U.S. Census Bureau activities by providing the framework used to collect and publish data, including American Community Survey (ACS) estimates. Data users employ ACS data that are tabulated for a variety of geographic areas to produce detailed portraits and maps of social, economic, housing, and demographic characteristics of America’s communities.

This guide provides an overview of geographic areas for which ACS data are available, special considerations in working with spatial data, and links to tools and other resources that data users can use to map ACS data.

Download by Section

.pdf 1. Geographic Areas Covered in the ACS [2.9 MB]
American Community Survey
.pdf 2. Geographic Boundaries, Vintages, and Frequency of Updates [<1.0 MB]
American Community Survey
.pdf 3. Accessing and Mapping ACS Data [1.1 MB]
American Community Survey
.pdf 4. Additional Resources [<1.0 MB]
American Community Survey

Others in Series

Publication
What Researchers Need to Know
April 2020
This handbook helps researchers learn more about estimates for geographic areas, how to access data products, sampling error, and more.
Publication
What State and Local Government Users Need to Know
August 2020
This handbook helps data users from state and local governments learn about ACS data and provides examples of how ACS data can answer real-world questions.
Publication
What ACS Public Use Microdata Sample File Users Need to Know
February 2021
This guide helps data users learn how to access PUMS files, create PUMS tables, and measure accuracy and margins of error.
View All

Top

Back to Header