Census Bureau Sets Timetable for Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Estimates and American Community Survey Results

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Census Bureau announced today the public release schedule for the official income, poverty and health insurance estimates for 2010 from the Current Population Survey (CPS), as well as estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS).  

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These estimates should not be confused with the 2010 Census statistics that are being released over the course of this year and next. ACS and CPS are surveys designed to capture socioeconomic and housing data from a subset of the population. The 2010 Census is a complete count of the population and focuses on population and demographic information.

DATA RELEASE SCHEDULE

2010 income, poverty and health insurance estimates — Current Population Survey — These national estimates will be released Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. Additional information regarding the time and format of the release will be included in a separate announcement closer to the release date. As is standard procedure, there will be no embargo of these statistics.

2010 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release one-year estimates from the 2010 ACS, including income and poverty estimates, on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. Embargo subscribers will have access to the estimates beginning Tuesday, Sept. 20.  

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.

On that date, the Census Bureau will release the first in a series of short, topic-based briefs that analyze a wide range of topics and change over time. The first topics examine health insurance coverage, employment ratios, household income and the foreign-born from Latin America. The additional briefs will be released in monthly waves through the end of the year.

2008-2010 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release the three-year estimates from the 2008-2010 ACS in October. The final date will be announced after the completion of the quality control process. Embargo subscribers will have access to the estimates up to 48 hours in advance of the public release. The estimates will cover all geographic areas with populations of 20,000 or more. Note that with this release data users will have, for the first time, two non-overlapping sets of multiyear data to analyze (2005-2007 ACS, 2008-2010 ACS).

2006-2010 American Community Survey — The Census Bureau plans to release the five-year ACS estimates covering 2006-2010 in December. The final date will be announced after the completion of the quality control process. Embargo subscribers will have access to the estimates up to 48 hours in advance of the public release. These estimates are available for all areas regardless of population size, down to the block group.

Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files for each of the three data sets will be released one to two months after each public release.

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 statistics on labor force characteristics. It provides the official annual statistics on the nation's income and poverty levels and a monthly snapshot of employment levels. Labor force characteristics include statistics 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 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the CPS includes additional data on work experience, income, noncash benefits and migration. The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics have conducted the CPS for more than 50 years. The statistics 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 most relied on source for up-to-date socioeconomic information every year. It is the successor to the former census "long form" that historically produced demographic, housing and socioeconomic statistics for the nation as part of the once-a-decade census. Together, American Community Survey and 2010 Census statistics 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.

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SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau