In this
post, I will show you how to research very basic population data using
government websites. In the future, we’ll touch on location, prices paid for specific
products and other valuable information for your business plan or personal
studies.
Let’s
make up a company and consumer profile. Additional details will be added to our
profiles as research continues in each post. Our company name is California
Fashions. We are a wholesaler of women’s clothing and want to appeal to individuals
aged 16 to 35 years old.
Company Name: California Fashions
Consumer Profile: Generation Y Females
On a
side note, people aged 16 to 35, is within the age bracket that the Census
considers Generation Y. So instead of saying “aged/s 16 to 35” the whole time,
we’ll call our consumers “Generation Y Females” instead. I am basing my
researches on this age group. However, you can apply my tutorials to other age
groups as well.
Official Census age classification for Generation Y:
“Generation Y or the millennial generation, born between 1976 and
2001”
California
Fashions is a new business and still in the concept stage. We know who we want
to market our clothing to but what is the population of our consumer age group?
The easiest way to find this information is by using American fact finder.
Factfinder2.census.gov
But
first, I want to show you something. Go to the main Census website at:
And select these options:
Topics > Population > Age and Sex > Data
There
are 3 links on this page. The two things you should take notice of is American
Community Survey (ACS) and Current Population Survey(CPS) . They
both have population estimates but each survey asks different questions, at different
times of the year and to different people.
Differences:
- Questions
- Time of the year
- Population Sampling
I’ll talk about CPS stuff in another blog post. We are using American Fact Finder today to retrieve population estimates and this search tool uses data from the ACS.
This is the link to American Fact Finder:
I
always use the Advanced Search because the Guided Search only displays top 10
results and usually guides you back to Advanced Search anyway. Go ahead
and click on:
Advanced Search > Show me all
Once you’re in the search page select:
Topics > People > Age and Sex And
click on the blue link for “Age” to
add that in as your search selection.
You will see search results in order by year. To filter for the year that you want, choose from
the selection bar on your right. FYI, most census information for 2013 is not available yet.
Now we gotta find our file and as you can see, there's about 8,000 results. Knowing/understanding ID numbers is to your advantage and I have included "How ACS tables are numbered" in the Q&A section of this blog post.
You will see search results in order by year. To filter for the year that you want, choose from
the selection bar on your right. FYI, most census information for 2013 is not available yet.
Now we gotta find our file and as you can see, there's about 8,000 results. Knowing/understanding ID numbers is to your advantage and I have included "How ACS tables are numbered" in the Q&A section of this blog post.
Navigate to page #2
We're going to be playing with 2012, 5 year estimates (See Q&A). The first ID number that shows up should be "B01001, Sex by Age". Select the Sex by Age link.
California Fashions' consumer age group is 16 to 35. Add up the age groups that apply and we've got our answer.
Generation Y Female population is estimated at about 41.7 million.
So there ya go! This is how you search for general population data using a government website. This is just an introduction so stay tuned for more!
Questions & Answers
What is the American Community Survey (ACS)?
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/about_the_survey/american_community_survey/
What is the difference between the ACS and CPS?
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/datasources/factsheet.html
How are ACS tables numbered?
For example, what do the letters and numbers in a table like B06004A-PR mean?
https://ask.census.gov/faq.php?id=5000&faqId=1687
What types of tables are found on American Fact Finder?
https://ask.census.gov/faq.php?id=5000&faqId=1687
What types of tables are found on American Fact Finder?
The following table outlines all types of tables that are available on American FactFinder.
Table Type | Sample Table ID, Title and Dataset | Definition |
Comparison Profiles | CP02 - SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES 2010 ACS 1-year estimates |
See the American Community Survey Data Product Descriptions at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/product_descriptions/ |
Data Profiles | DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 2010 Demographic Profile SF |
See Demographic Profiles |
Detailed Tables | AM1031AS101 - Annual Survey of
Manufactures: Geographic Area Statistics: Statistics for All
Manufacturing by State: 2010 and 2009 2010 Annual Survey of Manufactures |
See Detailed Tables |
Geographic Comparison Tables | GCT-H2 - General Housing Characteristics: 2010 - United States -- States; and Puerto Rico 2010 SF1 100% Data |
See Geographic Comparison Tables |
Geographic Header | G001 - GEOGRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS 2010 ACS 1-year estimates |
Geographic Header tables list various codes and other information about the selected geographies. |
Narrative Profiles | NP01 - Population and Housing Narrative Profile: 2010 2010 ACS 1-year estimates |
See Narrative Profiles |
Public Use Microdata Sample | PUMS-CSV - 2006-2010 ACS 5-year Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) - CSV format 2010 ACS 5-year estimates |
See Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) |
Quick Tables | QT-H2 - Tenure, Household Size, and Age of Householder: 2000 more information 110th Congressional District Summary File (100-Percent)DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 |
See Quick Tables |
Ranking Tables | R0201 - PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION WHO ARE WHITE ALONE - United States -- States; and Puerto Rico 2010 ACS 1-year estimates |
See the American Community Survey Data Product Descriptions at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/product_descriptions/ |
Selected Population Profiles | S0201 - SELECTED POPULATION PROFILE IN THE UNITED STATES 2010 ACS 1-year estimates |
See the American Community Survey Data Product Descriptions at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/product_descriptions/ |
Subject Tables | S0101 - AGE AND SEX 2010 ACS 1-year estimates |
See the American Community Survey Data Product Descriptions at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/data_documentation/product_descriptions/ |
When to use 1-year, 3-year, or 5-year estimates
Choosing which dataset involves more than simply considering the
population size in your area. You must think about the balance between
currency and sample size/reliability/precision.
Distinguishing features of ACS 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates
1-year estimates | 3-year estimates | 5-year estimates |
---|---|---|
12 months of collected data | 36 months of collected data | 60 months of collected data |
Data for areas with populations of 65,000+ | Data for areas with populations of 20,000+ | Data for all areas |
Smallest sample size | Larger sample size than 1-year | Largest sample size |
Less reliable than 3-year or 5-year | More reliable than 1-year; less reliable than 5-year | Most reliable |
Most current data | Less current than 1-year estimates; more current than 5-year | Least current |
Best used when | Best used when | Best used when |
Currency is more important than precision Analyzing large populations |
More precise than 1-year, more current than 5-year Analyzing smaller populations Examining smaller geographies because 1-year estimates are not available |
Precision is more important than currency Analyzing very small populations Examining tracts and other smaller geographies because 1-year estimates are not available |