Differences Between the ACS and the Decennial Census
While the main function of the decennial census is to provide counts of people for the purpose of congressional apportionment and legislative redistricting, the primary purpose of the ACS is to measure the changing social and economic characteristics of the U.S. population. As a result, the ACS does not provide official counts of the population in between censuses. Instead, the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program will continue to be the official source for annual population totals, by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex. ACS estimates are controlled to match the Census Bureau’s annual population estimates, by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin.
Although the questions used in the ACS are very similar to those included on the long form used in Census 2000, there are some important differences between the two surveys. While the decennial census has provided a snapshot of the U.S. population once every 10 years, the ACS has been described as a “moving video image, continually updated to provide much needed data about our nation in today’s fast-moving world.”*
Because ACS data are collected continuously, they are not always comparable with data collected from the decennial census. For example, in the case of employment statistics, both surveys ask about employment status during the week prior to the survey. However, data from the decennial census are typically collected between March and August, whereas data from the ACS are collected nearly every day and reflect employment throughout the year.
The ACS began including samples of the population living in group quarters (e.g., jails, college dormitories, and nursing homes) for the first time. As a result, 2006 ACS data may not be comparable with data from earlier ACS surveys. This is especially true for estimates of young adults and the elderly, who are more likely than other groups to be living in group quarters facilities.
*Kathleen B. Cooper, “Halfway to the 2010 Census: The Countdown and Components to a Successful Decennial Census,” paper presented to the House Subcommittee of Representatives, Washington, DC, April 19, 2005, www.ogc.doc.gov/ogc/legreg/testimon/109f/Cooper0419.htm.