US Census and American Community Survey

Welcome!

U.S. census enumerator knocking on door [source]

This guide provides critical information about information from the United States Decennial Census and related products such as the American Community Survey and how they are used for scholarly research.

The guide focuses on the following learning objectives:

• Understand the purpose and mandate of the US Census
• Identify topics where census data would be an appropriate resource for scholarly research
• Compare and contrast the US Decennial Census* and the American Community Survey
• Summarize social issues around the collection and dissemination of demographic data
• Outline common methods for analysis, visualization, and knowledge production using demographic data
• Use tools from the US Census Bureau and elsewhere to access data for your research

*The US Census Bureau performs other censuses including the Economic Census and the Census of Governments that are beyond the scope of this guide.