The New American Factfinder
The U.S. Census Bureau launched a revamped version of its primary data delivery tool, American FactFinder, this month. As this will be the primary vehicle for accessing 2010 Census data, the redesign is timely and welcome.
The 2011 FactFinder offers a new look, new tools and easier access to Census Bureau information. Users can search and analyze demographic and economic information about the nation and its communities using a variety of methods, with searches available based on keywords, geographies, population and ancestry groups, industries, and predefined topics. The data can be downloaded in a variety of formats, and enhanced manipulation of tables, such as transposing rows and columns, is now available. An especially nice feature is the ability to create customized maps based on many data sets.
What exactly is included in American Factfinder besides the Decennial Census?
American Community Survey is an ongoing annual survey drawn from a sample of households, designed to give communities current information needed to plan investments and services. Data is collected on age, sex, race, family and relationships, education, health care, veteran status, where you work and how you get there, and where you live and how much you pay for essentials. A comparable survey is available for Puerto Rico.
The first wave of neighborhood level data was released in December. But there is a caveat for Louisiana. For the first time, the Census Bureau used a five year estimating period, with data collected between January, 2005 and December, 2009. Given the Katrina related disruptions, the information does not reflect the current size and characteristics of the population.
Population Estimates Program publishes estimated population totals for the previous year for cities and towns, metropolitan areas, counties, and states. Existing data series such as births, deaths, Federal tax returns, Medicare enrollment, and immigration are used to update the decennial census base counts as of July 1 of the current year.
Economic Census is the collective name for the censuses of construction, manufacturers, minerals, minority- and women-owned businesses, retail trade, service industries, transportation, and wholesale trade. It is conducted by the Census Bureau every five years, in years ending in 2 and 7, and profiles the U.S. economy from the national to the local level and by detailed industry and business classification.
Annual Economic Surveys. Three different surveys are included in Factfinder. The Annual Survey of Manufactures provides sample estimates of statistics for all manufacturing establishments with one or more paid employee, including employment, payroll, supplemental labor costs, cost of materials consumed, operating expenses, value of shipments, value added by manufacturing, detailed capital expenditures, fuels and electric energy used, and inventories. County Business Patterns , which covers most of the country’s economic activity, is useful for studying small areas. It includes the number of establishments, number of employees, and payroll data by NAICS code. Nonemployer Statistics collects economic data by industry for nonemployer businesses, ones that have no paid employees, annual business receipts of $1,000 or more, and are subject to federal income taxes.
