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In this module, we will discuss how to locate statistical profiles of local geographic areas using the U.S. Census Bureau web site.
This type of information may be useful if you are working with a nonprofit organization that targets a specific geographic area.
The full U.S. census, which is conducted every 10 years, generates one of the largest collections of U.S. demographic data.
The agency also conducts additional surveys on a more frequent basis, such as the American Community Survey.
The front-end interface for Census Bureau data is called the “American Factfinder.”
The Census Bureau is currently in transition between two versions of Factfinder, so we will take a look at both platforms.
The “American FactFinder 2 ” is the access point for data from the 2010 census.
(Please note that while very basic population data from the 2010 census is available now,
detailed data from this census will continue to be released periodically, from now until early 2013.)
Let’s enter the site by clicking on [ AMERICAN FACTFINDER 2 (NEW) ]
From this screen, there are several routes you can take to generate a profile of a geographic area, such as a state, city, etc.
One approach is to use the Quick Start box in the middle of the page.
Let’s do a search for statistics for [ Milwaukee County ] by typing that search term in the Geography box
(in the Quick Start section) and clicking Go.
This has generated a long list of statistical tables for the geographic area that I requested.
The first result on the list should always be the “DP” table or tables, i.e. the Demographic Profile data.
Let’s click on the DP table for Milwaukee County - [Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010]
By [ scrolling down through the page ], we can view the demographic make-up of the county for criteria such as:
gender, age, race, Hispanic or Latino origin, household type, and housing occupancy
To view additional tables for this geographic area, click Back to Search near the upper left corner of the screen.
We can see numerous tables on the list that are labeled “QT”; these Quick Tables provide more detail on various population and housing topics,
for example, [ QT-P2 Single Years of Age and Sex]
provides numbers and percentages for each year of age as well as for five-year groupings.
[ click Back to Search ]
If you would like to review another geographic area for comparative purposes, you can simply click on the Geographies box on the left side of the screen
and select the desired location type, e.g. Waukesha County, United States as a whole, etc.
In order to view other types of descriptive data (including social and economic statistics) for your geographic area,
it is necessary at this time to use the “Legacy” or the older version of the American FactFinder. [ BACK TO COURSE GUIDE]
Click on [ AMERICAN FACTFINDER 2 (LEGACY) ]
We will scroll down past the announcement to get to the “Fast Access to Information” box.
and type [ Milwaukee County ] in the Get a Fact Sheet section and click Go.
We are now looking at a Fact Sheet for Milw. County generated from data collected in the 2005 through 2009 American Community Surveys.
The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey that provides data every year and collects additional types of information,
such as income and education levels, that are not covered by the official 10-year census.
As we scan through the Fact Sheet for Milwaukee County,
we can view a more detailed profile of the area to supplement the basic population statistics reported in the 2010 official census.
For example, we can see: – 8.5% of the population are veterans ( SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS )
– 15% speak a language other than English at home ( SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS )
– and the median family income is approximately $55K ( ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS )
And we can also directly compare the demographic make-up of this area to the United States as a whole
- for example, 18% of individuals in Milw. County are below poverty level versus 13.5% for the entire United States.
Please be aware that the older “legacy” version of the American FactFinder is scheduled to be discontinued during the fall 2011 semester.
All data from this older platform, including the American Community Survey statistics, will be transferred to the new platform at that time.