Census Bureau Releases Timetable for 2009 Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Estimates and American Community Survey Data

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Census Bureau announced today the public release schedule for the official income, poverty and health insurance estimates for 2009 from the Current Population Survey (CPS), as well as estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS).  

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This is the first year that the ACS data on social, economic and housing characteristics will be available for all geographic areas, based on five years of data collected from 2005 to 2009.  

Additional information on both the CPS and ACS releases will be provided closer to the release dates.

The CPS and the ACS are different from the 2010 Census, which determines the nation's official population count. State population counts from the 2010 Census, along with the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives apportioned to each state, will be released in December 2010 on a date to be announced later in the fall.      

DATA RELEASE SCHEDULE

2009 Income, poverty and health insurance estimates — Current Population Survey —

These national estimates will be released Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010. Additional information regarding the time and format of the data release will be included in a separate announcement closer to the release date. As is standard procedure, there will be no embargo of these data.

Editor's note: News releases, reports and data tables are available on the Census Bureau's homepage. Go to http://www.census.gov and click on "Releases."

2009 American Community Survey — The U.S. Census Bureau plans to release one-year estimates from the 2009 ACS, including ACS income and poverty estimates, on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010. These estimates will be available for the nation, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, every congressional district, every metropolitan area, and all counties and places with populations of 65,000 or more. There will be no embargo access to the data.  A series of short ACS briefs, analyzing findings on income and poverty, food stamp recipiency, health insurance coverage of children, and disability, will be released at the same time. Other briefs on the labor force, housing, public transportation, science and engineering degrees, public assistance, and immigration topics will be released at a later date.

2005-2009 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release the first set of five-year ACS estimates covering 2005-2009 in December. These will be the first new data released on the characteristics of small population areas (below 20,000) in 10 years. These estimates are available for all areas regardless of population size, down to the census tract. There will be no embargo access to the data. Early in 2011, 2005-2009 ACS Summary Files down to the block group will be released as will the 2005-2009 Public Use Microdata Sample files.

Closer to the December release date, the Census Bureau will provide guidance on how to use the new five-year estimates and how they differ from the one-year and three-year estimates.

2007-2009 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release the three-year estimates from the 2007-2009 ACS as the last in the series in January 2011. Estimates for the three-year release will be available for all geographic areas with populations of 20,000 or more. There will be no embargo access to the data.

ABOUT THE ANNUAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SUPPLEMENT (ASEC) TO THE CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS)

The Current Population Survey serves as the nation's primary source of data on labor force characteristics. It provides the official annual data on the nation's income and poverty levels and a monthly snapshot of employment levels. Labor force characteristics include data on age, sex, race, marital status and educational attainment. Other topics reported in the survey include income, poverty, employee benefits, work schedules, school enrollment and health insurance, among others. The CPS has been conducted by the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for more than 50 years. These data are used by government policymakers as important indicators of our nation's economy and for planning and evaluating many government programs.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY

The American Community Survey is the successor to the former census "long form" that historically produced demographic, housing and socioeconomic data for the nation as part of the once-a-decade census. Together, American Community Survey and 2010 Census data form the basis for the annual allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, local and tribal governments every year, and guide planners and policymakers at all levels of government and in communities of all sizes. All survey responses are strictly confidential and protected by law.

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau