QuickFacts is an easy to use application that provides tables, maps, and charts of frequently requested statistics from many Census Bureau censuses, surveys, and programs. Profiles are available for the nation, all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and all counties. Cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more are also included.
Data Profiles, supported by data.census.gov, have the most frequently requested social, economic, housing, and demographic data. Each of these four subject areas is a separate data profile. The data profiles summarize the data for a single geographic area, both numbers and percent, to cover the most basic data on all topics.
Social Characteristics: includes Education, Marital Status, Relationships, Fertility, Grandparents
Economic Characteristics: includes Income, Employment, Occupation, Commuting to Work
Housing Characteristics: includes Occupancy and Structure, Housing Value and Costs, Utilities
Demographic Characteristics: includes Sex and Age, Race, Hispanic Origin, Housing Units. The Census discusses races and ethnicity here.
On September 17, 2020 the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2019 ACS 1-year data. On December 10, 2020, the ACS 5-year estimates were released. For the first time, data from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) will allow users to compare three nonoverlapping sets of 5-year data: 2005-2009, 2010-2014 and 2015-2019. The ability to analyze separate datasets is important for identifying trends for small communities and geographies which is critical for planning future investments and services.
Narrative Profiles are short, analytic reports derived from the ACS 5-year estimates. Each Narrative Profile covers 15 different topic areas and provides text and bar charts to display highlights of selected social, economic, housing and demographic estimates for a selected geographic area.
Hierarchical structure of geographic areas:
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey that provides vital information on a yearly basis about our nation and its people. Information from the survey generates data that help determine how more than $675 billion in federal and state funds are distributed each year.
Find newly released data here.
ACS 1-year estimates | ACS 5-year estimates | Decennial Census |
12 months of collected data | 60 months of collected data | Point in time data collection |
Example: 2019 ACS 1-year estimate |
Example: 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimate |
Example: 2020 Decennial Census |
Dates collected between: January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019 |
Dates collected between: January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019 |
Dates collected: April 1, 2020 |
Data for geographic areas with populations larger than 65,000 (county or metropolitan statistical area in Hawaii) |
Data for geographic areas down to census tract |
Data for geographic areas down to census block |
Smallest sample size | Large sample size | Counts every person |
Highest margin of statistical error | Smaller margin of statistical error than 1-year estimate |
Smallest margin of error |
Most current data | Less current data | Less current data |
BEST USED WHEN | BEST USED WHEN | BEST USED WHEN |
Data currency and detailed population characteristics are more important than precision of geographic areas |
You want to be more precise about geographic area; not as concerned with currency of data |
You can't get the data you want out of the ACS; only interested in general population characteristics. |
For Hawaiʻi, you are limited to data at the state, county, or metropolitan geographic area |
For Hawaiʻi, you can examine populations as small as census tracts, ZICTAs, or Hawaiian Homelands |
For Hawaiʻi, you may examine populations down to the census block group or block level |