U.S. Census Bureau. Measuring America: People, Places, and Our Economy. Community Analysis Workshop. Armando Mendoza Data Dissemination Specialist

Transcription

1 U.S. Census Bureau Measuring America: People, Places, and Our Economy Community Analysis Workshop Armando Mendoza Data Dissemination Specialist U.S. Census Bureau September 21, 2017 Hello, I am Armando Mendoza and I am one of several data dissemination specialists at the Census Bureau. We provide training in the use of Census data and are happy to help you access the data you need. 1

2 Agenda Importance of Census Bureau Data Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) Community Analysis Data Selected ACS Characteristics Hands-on Exercises Accessing Census Bureau Data Today s workshop will begin with an overview of the data that the Census Bureau collects, emphasizing the importance of the data and the wide variety of surveys that we conduct. We not only count the U.S. population every ten years, but also conduct the American Community Survey (or ACS) that collects social and demographic information. We ll talk about how to analyze data for specific communities and the summaries that the ACS provides. At the end, we will spend time doing hands-on exercises accessing the data. 2

3 Decennial Census Constitutional Mandate Article 1, Section 2 23 Censuses since 1790 Congressional Reapportionment Redistricting Data is used to distribute federal funds The Decennial Census is a constitutional mandate and we ve been conducting decennial censuses since The primary purpose is for congressional reapportionment. That is the number of representatives in congress is determined based on how the population has shifted over time. Also, district boundaries are drawn using these counts (congressional districts, legislative districts, and school districts). Distribution of federal funds also is guided by the data collected through our surveys. So, there are a lot of political and economic implications. 3

4 70.00% California Resident Population Percent Change 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% % Change This is the percentage change for California over the last 100 years. There was significant growth in the 1910 s, 1930 s, 1950 s and 1960 s, and then the population begins to draw back a little bit. California grew only 10% between 2000 and

5 12 California Congressional Apportionment (Existing) California (53) The apportionment for the state for the last 100 years is shown on this graph. The increase in political power started in 1930 with 9 additional seats, 7 seats in 1950, 8 seats in 1960, and so on, until 2010 when something significant happened. For the first time in the history of the state, California did not receive any additional congressional seats. There were some concerns that perhaps California was going to lose its seats. So it s going to be interesting to see what happens in Based on the current population estimates, it looks like the state is still lagging a little bit and we are only a couple of years away from the next census. 5

6 Agenda Importance of Census Bureau Data Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) Community Analysis Data Selected ACS Characteristics Hands-on Exercises Accessing Census Bureau Data There s a very close relationship between the Decennial Census and the American Community Survey. Let s start with a little history. 6

7 ACS History Decennial Census: Short Form & Long Form American Community Survey Replaces Decennial Long Form Decennial Census: Short Form Only Between 1940 and 2000, there were two survey forms. The short form collected basic demographic information from the entire population and a long form sent to a sample of the population. In 2000, one in 6,000 received the long form. The long form asks a lot of questions regarding demographic characteristics, income, poverty, education, etc. That long form was replaced in 2005 by the American Community Survey. So in 2010, and going forward, all of us receive the short form every ten years as part of the decennial census. 7

8 Differences Between Decennial Census and ACS Census Every 10 Years 100 Percent Data Official Count Point In Time (April 1 st ) ACS Yearly Sample Data (3.5 million year/291k monthly) Estimates (trends/comparisons) Period of Time (1yr, 3yr, 5yr) This slide summarizes the differences between the two programs. Again, the Census is every 10 years and involves every person in the country (100%). It is considered the official count of the population, a static picture of what the country looks like on April 1st of that year. In contrast, the American Community Survey is more like a moving picture. We can see trends and do comparisons. It s a yearly survey with a sample of 3.5 million. Every month, approximately 291,000 questionnaires are randomly sent to residents throughout the country resulting in 3.5 million in the sample annually. The response rate for the American Community Survey is pretty high. Similar to the Decennial Census, it is a mandatory survey, the Census Bureau does 100 other surveys that are not mandatory. Since it is mandatory, the response rates are between 97-98%, a pretty good return rate. 8

9 ACS Period Estimates 1-Year Estimates 3-Year Estimates 5-Year Estimates Geographies of 65,000 or more Geographies of 20,000 or more *discontinued after 2013 All geographies The data are compiled for specific periods. It has to do with the geographies and the sample size. One year estimates are for geographies of 65,000 or more (that is, large cities and counties). In the past (up until 2013), 3-year estimates were produced for geographies of 20,000 and above. Finally, 5-year estimates are available for all levels of geography, as small as the census tract level. This estimate is the one to use for neighborhood statistics and if you are interested in a small city that is below the 65,000-population threshold. 9

10 There are a lot of questions on the American Community Survey. In terms of social characteristics, some of the questions ask about marital status, educational attainment, disability, and language other than English spoken at home. Demographic questions ask about age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin. In terms of economics, income and the sources of income, occupation, the average commute to work, and the place of work are collected. In terms of housing characteristics, questions ask about home ownership, mortgage, rents, housing values, taxes and insurance, and household size. Sometimes there are concerns about the legitimacy of the survey. People are not aware of the ACS and its relationship to the Decennial census. So, the Census Bureau spends time reaching out to the public to educate them and also educating congress, through presentations similar to this one, so they can answer questions from their constituents. It is incredibly important that we receive the information from the households that we sample because it is a representative sample. A house will represent about another 1,000 housing units in the area. So that s the only way that we can have an accurate measure of social, economic, demographic, and housing characteristics for small areas, like neighborhoods. 10

11 Agenda Importance of Census Bureau Data Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) Community Analysis Data Selected ACS Characteristics Hands-on Exercises Accessing Census Bureau Data Now, let s move on to analyzing the many types of data collected. 11

12 Census Data for Community Analysis Comparability Regularly collected Recognition Availability and accessibility The data can be compared for small areas (like census tracts), to counties, to states, and the nation. The survey is administered continuously across the nation using the same questions, so the results are comparable over time. The Census Bureau conducts outreach so that households will recognize the survey when it arrives and complete it right away. Also, there are online tools for people that want to analyze the data making it easier to use. 12

13 Census Data for Community Analysis Census Data answers questions Like How many people live in the community? How have the population numbers changed? How old or young are the people? What race and ethnicity are they? How well educated are the people? What languages do they speak? How many single parents? How many households are low-income? Data from the Census Bureau can answer questions like the ones shown on this slide, which are just a few examples of the many questions that can be answered. 13

14 DATA PRODUCTS Key ACS Data Products DESCRIPTION Data Profiles Provide broad social, economic, housing, and demographic profiles Narrative Profiles Selected Population Profiles Ranking Tables Subject Tables Detailed Tables Geographic Comparison Tables Thematic Maps Custom Tables Summary files Summarize the information in the Data Profiles using concise, nontechnical text Provide broad social, economic, housing, and demographic profiles for large of race, ethnic, ancestry, and country/region of birth groups Provide state rankings of estimates across 86 variables Similar to Data Profiles but include more detailed ACS data classified by subject Provide access to the most detailed ACS data and cross tabulations of ACS variables Compare geographic areas other than states, e.g. counties, congressional districts for key variables Interactive, online maps, that can be used to display ACS data Allow users to extract specific rows of data from the ACS detailed tables Provide access to the detailed tables through a series of the comma-delimited text files via FTP Public Use Microdata Sample Files (PUMS) Provide access to ACS microdata files to use with SAS and SPSS software The data products shown on this slide are the ones that are used most frequently. Data Profiles provide broad socioeconomic housing and demographic information. The Narrative Profile is a fairly new tool that provides a report including graphs and non-technical explanations of the data. Ranking tables and detailed tables provide access to more granular information. Other tools include geographic comparison tables, thematic maps, and custom tables. When we go online, we ll do some exercises using some of the tools. 14

15 Census Geography Hierarchy Central axis describes a nesting relationship (with 2010 Statistical Area Criteria) Revised Block Groups 600 to 3,000 population 240 to 1,200 housing units Blocks not defined by population Lowest geographic level for data Block level data only for Decennial Census Types of Place Cities and towns -- incorporated Census Designated Places (CDPs): - - Unincorporated; no size threshold - - Separate and distinct from city/town - - Redefined each census Census Tracts 1,200 to 8,000 population (optimum 4,000) 480 to 3,200 housing units Before we start accessing the data, it is important to have an understanding of the geographic hierarchy or Census Geography 101. This slide shows the relationship between the different geographic levels. I know there is a lot happening on the slide, so let s start with the central axis. It describes the nesting relationship. Census Blocks nest to block groups, which nest to census tracts, to counties, and all the way up to the nation. Census Blocks are the smallest geography in terms of census data and you can only get census block data from the decennial census, not from the American Community Survey (ACS). Therefore, only general population information is available (e.g., population counts by age, sex, race). For the social and economic characteristics collected through the ACS, block groups are the smallest geographic area available. Census tracts are between 1200 and 8000 in population, averaging 4,000. These areas can be considered a neighborhood, though the boundaries might not perfectly align with the local understanding. Some areas do not nest. For example, places are cities and towns and unincorporated areas, which are often of interest. In American Factfinder (the main tool we use to access the data), a city is typically listed as San Diego city, while a place that is unincorporated will have CDP included in the name (e.g., Temecula CDP). CDP is an acronym for Census Designated Place. Anytime you see a CDP it s an unincorporated place. 15

16 Agenda Importance of Census Bureau Data Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) Community Analysis Data Selected ACS Characteristics Hands-on Exercises Accessing Census Bureau Data To familiarize you with the data, I pulled some information for a local area, here is San Diego county. 16

17 Source: U.S. Census Bureau Let s look at Census Tract It is East of the I-15 freeway and south of the I-8 freeway. There are the 8 census tracts around it and they vary in size and in shape and probably population and characteristics. As we will see in the data I pulled together, while these census tracts are near one another, their composition is quite diverse. Hopefully, these examples will provide you with an overview and illustrate the depth of the data. Since the population within census tracts is less than 65,000, the data are all based on information from the 5-Year file. That is, the data were collected over five years in order to have a sufficient sample size for analysis. 17

18 Households Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Households Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey As suspected the number of households across these census tracts vary., from a low of 1,114 to 2,

19 Average Family Size Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Average Family Size Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey This slide shows the average family size across the census tracts. 19

20 Less Than High School 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Tract Tract Tract 21 Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract High School Drop Outs 3.1% 7.2% 12.8% 37.2% 44.4% 29.6% 43.0% 50.4% 11.3% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey These data are based on the population of 25 years and older that did not complete high school and are not currently enrolled (i.e., the high school drop out rate). 20

21 High School Diploma or Equivalent 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract 21 Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Here s the percentage of people in each census tract that have a high school diploma or equivalent. 21

22 Some College - No Degree 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Tract Tract Tract 21 Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Some College - No Degree 15.5% 20.0% 21.2% 25.4% 13.3% 33.1% 12.5% 11.9% 25.5% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey And this slide has the results for some college without a degree. 22

23 Associate's Degree 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Tract Tract Tract 21 Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Associate's Degree 4.6% 5.9% 10.8% 7.0% 7.7% 6.9% 2.5% 2.8% 5.8% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Associate s degree. 23

24 Bachelor's Degree 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Tract Tract Tract 21 Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Bachelor's Degree 31.3% 24.8% 20.0% 5.1% 5.2% 7.4% 5.8% 2.4% 22.5% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Bachelor s degree. You may remember that census tract had the lowest high school drop out rate and this slide shows that it also has a high percentage of people with a Bachelor s degree. 24

25 High School or higher 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Tract Tract Tract 21 Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract High School or higher 97.7% 92.9% 87.1% 62.8% 55.6% 70.4% 57.0% 49.6% 88.7% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Combining high school graduate, some college, AA, and bachelor s degree or higher produces these results. 25

26 Place of Birth 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract 21 Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract US Native Population 90.6% 91.1% 76.1% 52.0% 51.8% 66.0% 46.2% 45.6% 78.0% Foreign Born Population 9.4% 8.9% 23.9% 48.0% 48.2% 34.0% 53.8% 54.4% 22.0% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Place of birth also is available. The blue bar represents the U.S. native population and the red bar represents the foreign-born population. 26

27 Citizenship 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract 21 Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Naturalized Citizens 57.5% 65.9% 38.4% 30.1% 27.0% 23.7% 38.4% 23.4% 63.1% Not a US Citizen 42.5% 34.1% 61.6% 69.9% 73.0% 76.3% 61.6% 76.6% 36.9% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey For the foreign-born population more details are available as shown on this slide. They can be broken out by who has become a naturalized citizen and who has not. 27

28 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% CENSUS TRACT CENSUS TRACT Language Spoken at Home CENSUS TRACT 21 CENSUS TRACT CENSUS TRACT CENSUS TRACT CENSUS TRACT CENSUS TRACT CENSUS TRACT Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Language Spoken at Home - English Only 91.7% 85.1% 64.4% 20.4% 25.7% 48.6% 15.5% 13.9% 71.4% Other than English 8.3% 14.9% 35.6% 79.6% 74.3% 51.4% 84.5% 86.1% 28.6% Spanish 6.1% 7.9% 23.4% 56.2% 53.5% 27.6% 52.2% 61.8% 12.1% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Language spoken at home is often of interest, as shown on this slide. 28

29 Years Median Age Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Median Age Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey The highest median age is in census tract 20.01, while census tract has the lowest. Let s look at income and see if a relationship emerges. 29

30 Median Household income $160,000 $140,000 $120,000 $100,000 $80,000 $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 $0 Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Census Tract Tract Tract 21 Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Tract Median Household income $143,618 $108,043 $37,222 $25,693 $23,993 $27,276 $24,620 $28,864 $57,429 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Wow there is a huge difference. The median household income in 22.01, is $25,000, while is $143,000. This result also could be reflected in housing tenure (i.e., renters versus owners occupying the residence). 30

31 Housing Tenure 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Census Tract Owner Occupied 80.9% 68.7% 22.2% 13.7% 2.0% 9.5% 16.0% 10.3% 32.9% Renters 19.1% 31.3% 77.8% 86.3% 98.0% 90.5% 84.0% 89.7% 67.1% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey This slide shows the proportion of renters versus owners. There s a huge renting population in and 22.02, while there is higher homeownership in

32 Margin of Error (MOE) Margin of Error Definition: A measure of the precision of an estimate at a given level of confidence (90%, 95%, 99%) -- MOEs at the 90% confidence level for all published ACS estimates Confidence Interval Definition: A range that is expected to contain the population value of the characteristic with a known probability Margin of error is another concept that is important to understand when looking at the data. Since the data are gathered from a sample of residents across the nation and not a census (i.e., asking everyone in the nation the questions), all the information contains some uncertainty. This uncertainty is called sampling error. There are two reasons for this uncertainty. Estimates of characteristics from the sample data differ from those that would be obtained if the entire population were surveyed. Estimates from one subset or sample of the population can differ from those based on a different sample from that same population. The measure of sampling error is the margin of error or MOE. It is defined as a measure of the precision of the estimate at a given level of confidence. That is, the range expected to include the true value. For example, if median income is $140,000 and the margin of error is $10,000, the true value of income could be anything from $130,000 to $150,000. When the range is very large, which can happen for small geographic areas, the data should be used with caution, if at all. The level of confidence in determining this range can be anywhere from 90%, to 99%.. The ACS estimates use 90%. If a more precise level of confidence is required for your purposes, it can be computed. Instructions for the process can be found in the technical appendices of the ACS Compass Products Handbooks available on the American Community Survey web site. 32

33 Agenda Importance of Census Bureau Data Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) Community Analysis Data Selected ACS Characteristics Hands-on Exercises Accessing Census Bureau Data Let s go online now and try some exercises. The handout provides step by step instructions on how to get to the data. 33

34 The first step is to go to census.gov. 34

35 Right in the middle of the page is the first tool that I want to show you. It is called Quickfacts. With one click, by choosing California from the drop down box, you get data for the state of California. (NOTE: This feature requires that the browser is configured to allow Popups.) 35

36 As you look at the handout, this area has the answers to the questions listed in the first exercise. The very top are the population estimates. We publish population estimates every year, using the latest census count as a base (2010 until the 2020 census is completed) and accounting for birthrates, death rates, and migration. There is information on age and sex. You can find the percentage of the population growth in 2016, the population 65 years and over, and all the other answers. 36

37 To add geographic areas to the Quick Facts, use the search menu in the top left. You can add up to 6 geographies here. Add San Diego 37

38 The results are side by side. 38

39 You can compare areas. This slide shows San Diego city compared to the county and statewide. The geographic areas available here include state, county, city, town, or ZIP Code. You can mix and match any of those. Other areas like census tracts are accessed elsewhere and we ll get to that later.. 39

40 The little magnifying glass beside each geographic location allows you to get to a landing page where you can look at the social, economic, housing and demographic characteristics in it s own table. These tables contain more detailed data. Let s look at the economic characteristics. 40

41 Here are the economic characteristics for California and San Diego city, side by side. Since these geographic areas have a population of more than 65,000, data can be based on the 1-year file. That is, the data were collected throughout a single calendar year. 1. The Margin of Error is displayed to the right. As you scroll down you can see the various economic characteristics: income, benefits, distribution between males and females, health insurance coverage, etc. 2. You can look at the data for different years. 3. The table can be modified to delete any information not needed. 4. The data can be printed or downloaded. There are a couple of downloading options (i.e., a spreadsheet or PDF file). Downloading an Excel file and modifying it is easier, in my opinion, than using the Modify Table option. 41

42 When navigating the Census Bureau s website, the easiest way to get back to the landing page, to the main page, is to click on the Census logo, and you ll get back to where we started. Let s move to the next exercise, which focuses on Congressional district data. 42

43 Starting from the main page, click on Data in the banner at the top and then Data Tools and Apps. The list on the right are the most popular tools (to access more click on Data & Tools Apps Main shown on the left). To get data for Congressional districts, click on My Congressional District. 43

44 To access the Congressional district mentioned in the exercise, select California for the state and scroll down to Congressional district 52. To get the percentage of vacant units, choose Housing. 44

45 The number of vacant housing units for that Congressional district is about 25,000 and the source also is listed (notice that the 1-year file is used because the population is over 65,000). There is an option at the bottom of the table to display the margin of error or not. You can access other information by choosing a different icon at the top. 45

46 Now, I want to show you Community Facts. Go back to the Data tab and choose Data Tools & Apps and American FactFinder. Community Facts is in the middle of the page. It s very easy to use, though limited in levels of geography available to state, county, city, town, and zip code. Let s specify and click Go and hit continue. 46

47 The types of information are grouped in the categories listed on the left. Let s choose Veterans. The number of veterans that live in ZIP Code is 1,658 and the source of the data is clearly included at the top. This time the 5-year file is used because the total population of the ZIP Code is less than 65,

48 More information is available through the hyperlinks, choose the top one to get the data by period of service. As we saw previously, you also can access data for other years, as well as print or download the data. 48

49 Now, let s try a guided search. Go back to the main page of American FactFinder by clicking on Main and choose Guided Search at the top of the page in the blue bar. 49

50 We want to know the percentage of people in San Diego county who speak a language other than English at home. Since this question focuses on people, leave the default and click Next. 50

51 Click on the + beside Language to see all the options and select Language Spoken at Home.. Immediately the selections are added to the box to the right and it shows that there are 2,207 tables related to language spoken at home. Click Next. 51

52 Here s where we select the geography of interest. All geographic levels are available (from census block groups to nationwide). We are interested in Census Tract 4, so choose Census Tract from the pulldown menu. Another pulldown menu is added, to select the state (specify California) and another to select the county (specify San Diego). Choose Census Tract 4 and click on Add to Your Selections and Next. You can choose just one census tract, a subset, or all of them. In this case we know the census tract, but sometimes you might not. I have another exercise that will show you how to find out what census tract you want. 52

53 For the fourth step click on Skip this step. In the fifth step you are provided hyperlinks to data for language spoken at home with the most recent data available at the top. The hyperlinks with the yellow star are the most used. Open the first one. 53

54 As shown here, 2,693 speak only English in Census tract 4. A good example of the margin of error is shown for 5 to 17 year-olds who speak Spanish. The estimate is 19 with a Margin of Error of plus or minus 17. It could be anywhere from 2 to 36. For 65 year-olds and over, it is 33 plus or minus 45. The same options are available to download or print or access other years. 54

55 For the next exercise, go back to the census.gov main page and access American FactFinder again by choosing Data, Data Tools and Apps, and American Factfinder. This time use the Advanced Search 55

56 If there are any selections remaining from our last search in the box on the top left, clear them by clicking on the link on the top left: Clear all selections and start a new search. With the selections cleared, we ll start with a clean slate. 56

57 The easiest way to get to the Data Profiles is by using the search boxes. Type Data Profile under topic or table name and San Diego county under state, county or place. Make sure you ve got the right geographic area (there are a few San Diego s elsewhere) and hit Go. 57

58 Let s choose all 4 data profiles (the most recent ones at the top) and hit View. 58

59 The top right indicates that there are 4 pages and you can scroll through them by using the arrows. These 4 tables will give you an entire set of socioeconomic, demographic and housing characteristics. Again, you can look at other years, print, or download it as a spreadsheet or PDF. For PDFs, you are limited to 3 geographies, so you might have to do them individually. 59

60 Now, let s do an exercise where you find the census tract for an address. Again, go back to the main page, choose Data, Data Tools & Apps, and American FactFinder. Scroll down to Address Search (on the right) and click on the street address. 60

61 Type in the address and click Go. The result lists all the geographic identifiers for this address. Since we are interested in the census tract, click on it to put it in the Your Selections box. 61

62 To see the boundaries for the census tract, click on Map. This map tool is very helpful when doing analysis for a neighborhood or community. After you find the census tract for your specific address, you can choose additional ones surrounding it. 62

63 To display the census tract numbers and boundaries everywhere, choose Census Tract from the pulldown menu under Select Geographies on the right.. Now, the boundaries and numbers are displayed as shown in the image on the bottom right of this page. 63

64 Next, we want to do a wider area analysis. Start by clicking on this little point on the menu on the right and then click on the census tracts to be compared and click on Add to Your Selections and close the map. Remember census tracts have to do with population, and sometimes census tracts are huge geographically because the population is really small. The census tracts chosen are shown here. If you make a mistake, deselect by clicking on the blue X s. 64

65 There are 6,359 tables related to our selection. You don t want to be rummaging through all of them. There s an easy way to get to the relevant data by using these quick search boxes. Let s say we re looking for educational attainment. Start typing in the box and choose it when it is visible and click Go. 65

66 Now we have 150 tables, a little bit more manageable. One is highlighted with a yellow star because it is used most often. Open it. Our census tracts are side-by-side. The data source is the 5-year file because we are focusing on census tracts, which have populations less than 65,000. All the other options that we have had in prior exercises are still available. There s one more cool thing that you can do when you select more than 3 geographies you can create a map. Click on it. 66

67 All of the measures are hyperlinked. Let s look at the percentage of people that have a Bachelor s degree or higher. Click on the first number and it s going to create what we call a thematic map. 67

68 The legend indicates the categories. You can create a PDF file, print it, zoom in, and zoom out. 68

69 Census Explorer is another tool. To access it, click on the Census logo, choose Data, Data Tools and Apps, and Census Explorer. This tool provides a nice visual representation of the data. There are a few visualizations. Let s check out People, Education and Income because I think it is the most useful. It requires the most recent version of Adobe Flash Player. 69

70 Three datasets are included: 1990 census, 2000 census and 2013 ACS data, as well as 2012 County Business Patterns. The default is Median Household Income and the State is the default, county and census tract are also options. After choosing the area of interest (e.g., census tract), the tool zooms into the middle of the nation. To get to your area use the search box on the top right. 70

71 Hovering the mouse over areas on the map displays the Median Household Income for that area. Select different measures and play around. 71

72 The last tool to share today is the narrative profile. It is the only one not included on Data Tools & Apps. The narrative profile is directly from the American Community Survey page. The easiest way to find it is to click on this search box, type ACS, click the first link, and all the instructions are in your hand out. 72

73 Click on Data, Data Tables and Tools, Narrative Profiles. There are a couple of ways to search. You can either use a map or you can use a drop-down menu, the drop-down menus are easier unless you re looking for a large geography like a nation, state, or county. I like this tool because you can get data at the census tract level and it s a narrative profile that has some built-in graphs in it, and the data are described in nontechnical text. Use Dropdown Menus, choose Place and specify San Diego city, and click Get Profile. 73

74 The most recent data are displayed. Scroll down to see everything and check out the built-in graphs. 74

75 The Joy of Stats Since we are talking about data, I can t resist sharing a youtube video with you. It is by a Swedish statistician. It s a little old and you may have seen it already, but if you don t know about it, you might find it interesting. Hans Rosling, the Swedish statistician, presents data for 200 countries over 200 years in 4 minutes. This slide has the link. If it doesn t work, copy this URL and paste it into your browser: 75

76 Questions? How can we generate and export a table that contains all city of San Diego census tract data? An example with any topic is fine. The Missouri Census Data Center provides a great tool to help determine which census tracts are in a city or any other Census Designated Place. It is called MABLE/Geocorr ( and allows you to select a starting geography and a target geography to generate a list of which target geographies correspond with the source geography (i.e. which census tracts make up the city of San Diego). Use this list of census tracts and select the ones that you need on American FactFinder. 76

77 Contact Information: Armando Mendoza Data Dissemination Branch Customer Liaison and Marketing Services Office Telephone: Here is my contact information if you have further questions. 77