Saving Lives with the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey

The U.S. Census Bureau released the American Community Survery's 2015 estimates

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Let us know how you use the ACS by sharing your story online using #ACSdata. We are also looking for the next community to highlight in the Stats in Action video series. Does your county have an innovative ACS data story to share? If so, send it to acso.users.support@census.gov with the subject line “Stats in Action.”

Tune in to the Census Bureau’s webinar on Thursday, Oct.13 at 2 p.m. EDT during Fire Prevention Week to learn how you can start a project like New Orleans’ in your county.  Visit the ACS Events page for more details.

Communities across the nation now have new American Community Survey (ACS) statistics to help them make informed decisions. In mid-September, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2015 American Community Survey’s one-year estimates, providing a detailed look at America’s people, places and economy for communities with populations of 65,000 or more. With information on 40 social, economic, housing and demographic topics, the ACS can help you find solutions at the local level.

New Orleans, La. is one such community benefitting from timely ACS data. In the bureau’s newest Stats in Action video, we highlight how the New Orleans Fire Department is saving lives by figuring out where to target smoke alarm installations. The city used free and publicly accessible ACS estimates to identify homes that were least likely to have a smoke alarm and most likely to have fatalities due to fire. This is just one example of the many issues that ACS data can solve.

 

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• The most recent ACS data releases are here
• NACo’s County Explorer showcases many of these statistics

Here are some other ways, counties have used ACS data:

• The Catawba County (N.C.) Aging Coalition used ACS data to understand the demographics of the 65-plus population. It used this information, in conjunction with other sources, to update the Catawba Aging Services Plan.
• ACS statistics on language and ability to speak English helped King County, Wash. Elections identify the languages spoken by limited-English-speaking voters. They collaborated with the Seattle Foundation to award funds to community-based organizations to do voter engagement in these other languages.
• The Gwinnett County (Georgia) Department of Fire and Emergency Services used ACS statistics on disabilities to justify the need for the 2015 Chesney Fallen Firefighters Memorial Grant to purchase bedside alarms for deaf or hard of hearing individuals.
• Crittenton Children’s Center (Missouri) used demographic data from the ACS in its Community Health Needs Assessment. This information will help them to better understand and serve the needs of their six-county service area.

Additional data releases are planned later this year for smaller counties.

For areas with populations of 20,000 or more, the Census Bureau created a new product — the Supplemental Estimates Tables. This product features simplified tables that provide access to ACS data at a lower population threshold than standard one-year tables. It was released for the first time in July with 2014 data, and an updated version with 2015 data will be available on Oct. 20. All counties, regardless of size, will be included in the 2011–2015 ACS five-year release on Dec. 8.