understanding census geography
DESCRIPTION
Understanding Census Geography. Lisa Neidert NPC Workshop : Analyzing Poverty and Socioeconomic Trends Using the American Community Survey July 12 – July 15, 2010. Census Geography. Geographic Areas: with 1-year and 3-year data. Geographic Areas: with 1-year and 3-year data. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Understanding Census Geography
Lisa Neidert
NPC Workshop: Analyzing Poverty and Socioeconomic Trends Using the American Community Survey
July 12 – July 15, 2010
Census Geography
Geographic Areas:with 1-year and 3-year data
Geographic Areas:with 1-year and 3-year data
What’s available in the ACS for single year data: via maps
Maps showing counties and places for each state (or the nation)
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/acs_2008_reference_maps.htm
Counties with single year data: ACS 2008
Almost all counties:DE, MA
Few counties, no places:VT and WY
State with American Indian Places: AK, AL, LA, NC, OK
Counties with 3-year data:ACS 2006-2008
States where all counties are over 20,000
Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia New Hampshire New Jersey Rhode Island
What geographies are available in the 2006-2006 ACS
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/acs-php/2006_2008_beginner_users_guide.php
Geographical Areas (Texas):Covered in 2006-2008
ACS 2006=2008 Geographical Areas
What’s available in the ACS: via Look-up tables
Geographic entities available for 1-year data (2008)
Geographic entities available for 3-year data (2006-2008)
Not ready for prime-time:census tracts and zip codes
Need 5-year estimates file 2005 – 2009 Available 2010 for Census Tracts; 2011 for Zip Codes
Annual updates thereafter 2006 – 2010 2007 – 2011, etc.
Possible delay for 5-year data – only an unsubstantiated rumor
ExampleCensus Tracts for community districts
Zip codes
Not census geography However, big demand for zip code data
Census Bureau builds ZCTAs via census blocks
ZCTA FAQs http://www.census.gov/geo/ZCTA/
zctafaq.html Fun resource
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_code
What to do with a 2011 release of zip code data?
See Exercise 4: http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/workshop/npc2010/
Exercise4_DealingWithDelays.pdf
This exercise shows how to build zip code characteristics from census tract characteristics
What are PUMAs?
Public Use Microdata areas Combination of population geographies
that sum to at least 100,000 population. In rural areas, several counties will form
a PUMA. In an urban area, a county will be subdivided into multiple PUMAs.
PUMAs do not cross state boundaries
PUMAs. . . .
PUMAs do not have good comparability over time (1990, 2000).
PUMA geographies for the ACS are the same as the 2000 boundaries
PUMAs are reasonable substitutes for counties
Smallest geography available in the microdata.
PUMAs
Can be valuable for bypassing geographic restrictions when one wants national information at the county level
Create pseudo counties based on a cross-walk between PUMAs and counties
Statistics based on 1-year ACS data Unit is county
Statistics based on 3-year ACS dataUnit is county
Statistics based on 1-year ACS dataUnit is PUMA
Illinois example:PUMA to county example
PUMA to County Widget
Based on PDQ-Explore output http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/data/resource/detail/1527
Based on American FactFinder output http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/data/resource/detail/1528
Try one this week
Class Exercises Today
http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/NPC2010/archives/class_exercises/index.html
Poverty Hot-spots (ACS 2008) Census tract data (Census 2000) Bulk downloads, zip code (Census 2000) Dealing with Delays: Creating zip code characteristics from
census tract data
PUMAs via Maps
Reasonable tool for rural parts of a state Somewhat unwieldy for urban areas Multiple maps per state
http://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/2000pumas.shtml
PUMAs via text
Describes PUMA composition By:
County County subdivision Place Census tract
http://usa.ipums.org/usa/volii/2000pumas.shtml http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/data/ref/PUMA
/SUPERPUMA-2000-5pct.html
Metropolitan areas
Defined by Office Management Budget (OMB) http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimat
es/metrodef.html
Historical Definitions http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimat
es/pastmetro.html
Researcher is free to follow own definitions Census Bureau follows OMB definitions