U.S. Census Bureau Censuses and Surveys

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The U.S. Census Bureau uses censuses and surveys to collect general statistical information from individuals and establishments throughout the United States. Once compiled, the statistics are used by policymakers, educators, and community leaders to make decisions on myriad issues including education, employment, health care, development, transportation, and housing. This page provides a brief overview of the decennial and economic censuses as well as several major surveys.

Short Form
100-percent characteristics: A limited number of questions are asked of every person and housing unit in the United States. The following data is collected:

Age
Hispanic or Latino origin
Household relationship
Race
Sex
Tenure (whether the home is owned or rented)
Vacancy characteristics

Long Form
Sample characteristics: Additional questions are asked of a sample of persons and housing units (generally 1 in 6 households). The following population and housing data is collected:

Population		Housing
Ancestry Disability Grandparents as caregivers Income in 1999 Labor force status Language spoken at home and ability to speak English Marital status Migration (residence in 1995) Occupation, industry, and class of worker Place of birth, citizenship, and year of entry Place of work and journey to work School enrollment and educational attainment Veteran status Work status in 1999		Farm residence Heating fuel Number of rooms and number of bedrooms Plumbing and kitchen facilities Telephone service Units in structure Utilities, mortgage, taxes, insurance, and fuel costs Value of home or monthly rent paid Vehicles available Year moved into residence Year structure built

American Community Survey (ACS)
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html

The American Community Survey (ACS) collects population and housing information from approximately 3 million households from across every county in the United States. “ Data from the 2006 ACS are available for geographic areas with a population of 65,000 or more , including 783 counties, 436 congressional districts, 621 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia.”

Frequency: Conducted yearly
Year Survey First Conducted: 1996

Current Population Survey (CPS)
http://www.census.gov/cps/

"The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The CPS is the primary source of information on the labor force characteristics of the U.S. population. The sample is scientifically selected to represent the civilian noninstitutional population. Respondents are interviewed to obtain information about the employment status of each member of the household 15 years of age and older. However, published data focus on those ages 16 and over. The sample provides estimates for the nation as a whole and serves as part of model-based estimates for individual states and other geographic areas.

Estimates obtained from the CPS include employment, unemployment, earnings, hours of work, and other indicators. They are available by a variety of demographic characteristics including age, sex, race, marital status, and educational attainment. They are also available by occupation, industry, and class of worker. Supplemental questions to produce estimates on a variety of topics including school enrollment, income, previous work experience, health, employee benefits, and work schedules are also often added to the regular CPS questionnaire" (Current Population Survey (CPS) Main Page, http://www.census.gov/cps/).

Economic Census
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/

Frequency: Conducted every five years, in years ending in '2' and '7.'

The Economic Census presents a profile of business activities in U.S. industries and communities at the national, state, metropolitan area, county, place, and ZIP code levels.

“Economic Census statistics are collected and published primarily by establishment and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). An establishment is a business or industrial unit at a single physical location that produces or distributes goods or performs services, for example, a single store or factory. On the other hand, “the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is a system for classifying business establishments. Adopted in 1997 to replace the old Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system, it is the industry classification system used by the statistical agencies of the United States.”

The greatest variety of statistics and the most detailed classifications usually are published at the national level with fewer statistics and less detailed classifications available for states, and fewer still for smaller areas in order to avoid disclosing information about individual firms.
Economic Census—American FactFinder, last rev. May 11, 2005, http://factfinder.census.gov/jsp/saff/SAFFInfo.jsp?_pageId=sp2_economic&_submenuId =).

The 2002 Economic-Wide Key Statistics file includes the following data items for the US, states, counties, places, and metropolitan areas at the 2- through 8-digit NAICS industry codes:

•  Number of establishments
•  Sales, receipts, revenues, shipments
•  Annual payroll
•  Number of employees

Annual Economic Surveys

“In addition to conducting the Economic Censuses every five years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts more than 100 economic surveys covering annual, quarterly, and monthly time periods for various sectors of the economy. These surveys measure a wide variety of economic activities, from capital expenditures for food manufacturing companies to annual auto dealership sales.” These surveys include:

Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM)
http://www.census.gov/mcd/asmhome.html

“The Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) provides sample estimates of statistics for all manufacturing establishments with one or more paid employees" in the United States. The economic census - manufacturing is the sample frame from which the ASM is chosen and presents more detailed data than the ASM. Among the statistics included in this survey: employment, payroll, value added by manufacture, cost of materials consumed, value of shipments, detailed capital expenditures, supplemental labor costs, fuels and electric energy used, and inventories by stage of fabrication. Three reports are issued from the Annual Survey of Manufactures:

(1) Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries (presents data at the three-, four-, five-, and six-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) levels);
(2) Value of Product Shipments (presents shipments data for 473 six-digit NAICS product groups and approximately 1,500 seven-digit NAICS product classes);
(3) Geographic Area Statistics (presents data for each state and the District of Columbia).

Frequency: The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the ASM in each of the 4 years between the economic census which is collected for years ending in 2 and 7.

County Business Patterns (CPB)
http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html

"County Business Patterns (CPB) provides data on the total number of establishments, mid-March employment, first quarter and annual payroll, and number of establishments by nine employment-size classes. The data are detailed by industry for the United States, states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, metro areas, and for counties and county equivalents." Important: County Business Patterns “ excludes data on self-employed individuals, employees of private households, railroad employees, agricultural production employees, and most government employees.

Frequency: Published annually since 1964 and at irregular intervals dating back to 1946. The comparability of data over time may be affected by definitional changes in establishments, activity status, and industrial classifications” (County Business Patterns Home, August 22, 2007). American FactFinder provides annual releases beginning with data year 2004.

Zip Code Business Patterns (ZBP)
http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/zbp_base.html

Zip Code Business Patterns (ZBP) provides data on business establishments, "by size, for hundreds of industries...plus summaries by zip code (without industry breakdown) for employment, payroll, and counts by employment size." "ZBP databases cover businesses in" approximately "40,000 5-digit zip codes nationwide" (ZIP Business Patterns, last modified November 15, 2005, http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/zbp_base.html).

Frequency: Published annually since 1964. American FactFinder provides annual releases beginning with data year 2004.

Nonemployer Statistics (NES)
http://www.census.gov/epcd/nonemployer/

Nonemployer Statistics “provides U.S. and sub-national data by industry for businesses without paid employees (i.e., the number of establishments and receipts of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations without paid employees). Nonemployer data originate primarily from the administrative records of other Federal agencies. These data are useful for studying the economic activity of small businesses at various geographic levels. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, and developing budgets. Government agencies use the data for administration and planning” (American FactFinder: Annual Economic Surveys, last rev. June 22, 2007, http://factfinder.census.gov).

Frequency: The Census Bureau began publishing NES data annually in 1997. American FactFinder provides annual releases beginning with data year 2002.

Statistical Abstracts of the United States http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html

The Statistical Abstract of the United States provides an annual comprehensive summary of U.S. economic, political, and social statistics. The Abstract also serves as a "statisical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web. Sources of data include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations" ("The 2008 Statistical Abstract," page last modified June 3, 2008, http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/).

Since the Statstical Abstract of the United States has been published since 1878, it also is an excellent source for historical statistics.

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