2020 ACS 1-year and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year Data Releases: Technical Documentation - Survey ACS 2020 (5-Year Estimates)

Documentation:

ACS 2020 (5-Year Estimates)

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Publisher: U.S. Census Bureau

Survey: ACS 2020 (5-Year Estimates)

Document:	2020 ACS 1-year and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year Data Releases: Technical Documentation
citation:	Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 ACS 1-year and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year Data Releases : Technical Documentation.

Documentation

ACS 2020 (5-Year Estimates)

2020 ACS 1-year and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year Data Releases: Technical Documentation

Acknowledgments

Using the American Community Survey Summary File: What Data Users Need to Know

1. Introduction

What Is the ACS?

Overview of the ACS Summary File

Benefits and Uses of the ACS Summary

Geographies Covered

Comparing Published Detailed Tables to the ACS Summary File

Data Release Schedule and Notable Changes to the Summary File

2. How to Use the ACS Summary File

Basic Steps to Using the ACS Summary File

Locating the ACS Summary File

Summary File Organization

Geography Files

Estimate and Margin of Error Files

3. Table IDs, Sequences, and Variable Names

Table IDs

Sequence Numbers

Sequence Number/Table Number Lookup File

Variable Names

4. Tools and Resources For the ACS

Summary File Excel Import Tool and Simplified Geography Files

SAS Programs

Appendix Tables

5. User Notes

Population Thresholds

Explanation of Missing Estimates and Data Release Filtering Rules

Rounding Rules and Margins of Error

Jam Values

Display of ACS Estimates

Multiple Sequences for a Table

For More Information

Instructions on How to Read the ACS Summary File into Excel

Instructions on Joining the ACS Summary File to the TIGER/Line Shapefiles

Computer and Internet Use

Condominium Status and Fee

Contract Rent

Food Stamp/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits (SNAP)

Gross Rent

Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income

Homeowner Vacancy Rate

House Heating Fuel

Household Size

Housing Units

Insurance for Fire, Hazard, and Flood

Internet Use

Kitchen Facilities

Meals Included in Rent

Mobile Home Costs

Monthly Housing Costs

Monthly Housing Costs as a Percentage of Household Income

Mortgage Payment

Mortgage Status

Occupants Per Room

Occupied Housing Units

Owner-Occupied Units

Plumbing Facilities

Population in Occupied Housing Units

Poverty Status of Households

Real Estate Taxes

Rent Asked

Rental Vacancy Rate

Renter-Occupied Housing Units

Rooms

Second or Junior Mortgage Payments or Home Equity Loan

Selected Conditions

Selected Monthly Owner Costs

Selected Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income

Specified Owner-Occupied Units

Specified Renter-Occupied Units

Telephone Service Available

Tenure

Units in Structure

Utilities

Vacancy Status

Vacant - Current Residence Elsewhere

Vacant Housing Units

Value

Vehicles Available

Year Householder Moved into Unit

Year Structure Built

Population Variables

Ability to Speak English

Age

Ancestry

Children Ever Born

Citizenship Status (U.S. Citizenship Status)

Class of Worker

Disability Status

Educational Attainment

Foreign-Born Population

Foster Children

Grade in Which Enrolled

Grandparents as Caregivers

Group Quarters (GQ)

Health Insurance Coverage

Hispanic or Latino Origin

Household

Household Type and Relationship

Household Size

Householder

Immigrants

Income in the Past 12 Months

Income Type in the Past 12 Months

Industry

Journey to Work

Labor Force Status

Language Spoken at Home

Marital Status/Marital History

Means of Transportation to Work

Period of Military Service

Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months

Private Vehicle Occupancy

Race

Reference Week

Relatives and Nonrelatives

Residence 1 Year Ago

School Enrollment and Type of School

Sex

Social Security income

Subfamily

Time Leaving Home to Go to Work

Travel Time to Work

Type of School

Usual Hours Worked in the Past 12 Months

Veteran Status

Weeks Worked in the Past 12 Months

Work Experience

Work Status in the Past 12 Months

Average

Mean

Median

Percentage

Quartile

Quintile

Rate

Ratio

Group Quarters Definitions

Group Quarters

1. Correctional Facilities for Adults

2. Juvenile Facilities

3. Nursing Facilities/Skilled Nursing Facilities

4. Other Health Care Facilities

5. College/University Student Housing

6. Military Group Quarters

7. Other Noninstitutional Facilities

Instructions for Applying Statistical Testing

Obtaining Standard Errors and Margins of Error

Obtaining Standard Errors for Derived Estimates

Instructions for Statistical Testing

Worked Examples for Approximating Margins of Error

Introduction

Succesive Difference Replication Variance

Worked Examples

Converting Margin of Error to the Standard Error

Example 1 - Calculating the Standard Error from the Margin of Error

Sums and Differences of Direct Standard Errors

Example 2 - Calculating the Standard Error of a Sum or a Difference

Proportions/Percents

Example 3 - Calculating the Standard Error of a Proportion/Percent

Ratios

Example 4 - Calculating the Standard Error of a Ratio

Percent Change

Products

Example 5 - Calculating the Standard Error of a Product

Testing For Significant Differences

Calculating a Z-score Statistic

Issues with Using Overlapping Confidence Intervals for Statistical Testing

Statistical Testing Tool

Issues With Approximating The Standard Error of Linear Combinations of Multiple Estimates

Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 ACS 1-year and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year Data Releases : Technical Documentation.

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