MAPPING AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY DATA FOR FORT BEND AND HARRIS COUNTIES,
TEXAS
Bonny M. Berkner
Illustrated Paper The Association of American Geographers
96th Annual MeetingPittsburgh, Pennsylvania (4-8 April 2000)
What is the American Community Survey?
• A program to provide information every year for communities that is normally collected every ten years in the decennial census about:
– age, gender, race/ethnicity
– families, children, the elderly
– income, poverty
– education
– work, unemployment
– commuting patterns
– housing
What are the Goals of the American Community Survey?
• Provide federal, state, and local governments an information base for the administration and evaluation of government programs.
• Provide an alternative to the 2010 Census long-form data collection.
• Provide data users with timely demographic, housing, social, and economic data updated every year that can be compared across states, communities, and population groups.
Stage 1: Demonstration Period 1996-1998
• 1996
– Brevard County, FL
– Multnomah County, OR (Portland)
– Rockland County, NY
– Fulton County, PA
• 1997 - added
– Franklin County, OH (Columbus)
– Douglas County, NE (Omaha)
– Ft. Bend and Harris Counties, TX (Houston)
– Otero County, NM
• 1998 - added
– Broward County, FL (Replace Brevard County, Florida)
– Richland and Kershaw Counties, SC - Decennial Census Dress Rehearsal counties
Stage 2: Comparison Study 1999-2002
• Understand and measure differences between the traditional census long form and the American Community Survey.
• Provide a bridge to interpret changes between Census 2000 and the 2003-04…2003-07 American Community Survey.
• 31 sites, including eight from the 1996-1998 Demonstration Period.
1999-2002 Sites• 1-percent household sample in:
– Harris and Fort Bend Counties, TX
• 3-percent household sample in:
– Broward County, FL
– Bronx, NY
– Lake County, IL
– San Francisco, CA
– Franklin County, OH
• 5-percent household sample in:
– Pima County, AZ
– Jefferson County, AR
– Tulare County, CA
– Upson County, GA
– Black Hawk County, IA
– Miami County, IN
– DeSoto Parish, LA
– Calvert County, MD
– Hampden County, MA
• 5-percent household sample in:
– Madison County, MS
– Iron, Reynolds, and Washington Counties, MO
– Flathead and Lake Counties, MT
– Douglas County, NE
– Rockland County, NY
– Otero County, NM
– Multnomah County, OR
– Fulton County, PA
– Schuylkill County, PA
– Sevier County, TN
– Starr County, TX
– Zapata County, TX
– Petersburg, VA
– Yakima County, WA
– Ohio County, WV
– Oneida and Vilas Counties, WI
Stage 3: Full Implementation 2003 and Beyond
• Begin national sample of 3 million addresses across all counties.
• Provide a yearly profile for communities of 65,000 or more, beginning in 2004 and each year thereafter.
• 2- to 5-year accumulations for communities of less than 65,000 population.
How does the American Community Survey Work?
• A large, continuous demographic survey which:– Uses a Master Address File (MAF), a complete listing of
all residential address and group quarters in the country, for sample selection
– Mails questionnaires each month to a new sample of households
– Conducts telephone interviews for those who did not mail back the questionnaire
– Selects a 1:3 sample of addresses still not interviewed and conducts personal interviews
– Completes data collection for each sample in three months
Using the 1998 American Community Survey to Address the Changing Immigrant
Population in Fort Bend and Harris Counties, Texas
• Purpose: provide an example of the type of analysis for which the American Community Survey data can be used.
• Why choose Fort Bend and Harris County?– These two counties were the largest 1998 site
– These two counties are part of the large Houston metropolitan area which is dynamic in nature
Data and Methodology for the 1998 American Community Survey - Fort Bend
and Harris Counties, Texas
• The primary sampling unit was the housing unit, including all occupants. Group quarters were not included in the sample.
• Sampling rate was 3 percent for each Texas county.
• Confidentiality edits were applied to the data to assure that published data do not disclose information about specific individuals, households, or housing units.
Native and Foreign-Born Populations, as Defined by the U.S. Census Bureau
• Native population includes individuals born in the United States or an outlying area of the United States, and individuals who were born in a foreign country, but who had at least one parent who was a U.S. citizen.
• Foreign-born population is all individuals born in a foreign country except those who had at least one parent who was a U.S. citizen. This includes all foreign-born individuals residing in the United States, regardless of their legal status.
• Foreign-born population is the sum of the naturalized people and the non-citizens.
All Graphs and Maps are for Fort Bend and Harris Counties, Texas, using the 1998
American Community Survey
Percent Native and Foreign-Born Population: 1998
*Naturalized and not a citizen sum to foreign-born population.
81.2
6.1
12.7
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
Native *Naturalized *Not a Citizen
Percent Foreign-Born by Region of Birth and Citizenship Status: 1998
Not a Citizen
Europe5%
Asia20%
Africa3%
Mexico52%
Central America
Other12%
Northern America
2%
Caribbean2%
South America
4%
Naturalized
Europe7%
Asia38%
Mexico31%
Central America
Other8%
Northern America
1%
Africa5%
Caribbean5%
South America
5%
Length of Residence in the U.S. and Citizenship Status for Foreign-Born Mexicans and Asians:
1998
9.7
34.327.5
73.3
93.0
26.7
72.565.7
96.1 90.3
3.9 7.0
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
5 yr or less 6-10 yr inUS
11 plus yrin US
5 yr or less 6-10 yr inUS
11 plus yrin US
Mexico Asia
Not a Citizen Naturalized
Age of the Population by Nativity and Citizenship Status: 1998
33.4
15.0
39.4
55.2
65.4
19.4
31.2
15.7
9.6
4.0
3.97.8
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Native Naturalized Not a Citizen
Under 18 18-44 Yr Old 45-64 Yr Old 65 Plus
Median Age of the Population by Region of Birth: 1998
30
38 37
32 32
3936
4141
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Native Europe Asia Africa Caribbean Mexico CentralAmerica
Other
SouthAmerica
NorthernAmerica
Educational Attainment of the Population 25 Years Old and Over by Nativity, Length of Residence in the U.S. and
Citizenship Status: 1998
52.7
30.0
44.9
48.3
35.1
44.0
14.8
27.2
38.0
32.1
28.2
31.9
31.3
55.4
20.1
32.0
23.0
24.6
29.8
33.1
23.5
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Not a Citizen
Naturalized
CITIZENSHIP STATUS
11 plus years
6-10 years
5 yr or less
LENGTH OF RESIDENCE
FOREIGN-BORN ONLY:
Foreign-Born
Native
Less than high school graduate High school and less than four years of college Bachelor's degree or more
Educational Attainment of the Population 25 Years Old and Over by Region of Birth: 1998
5.1
19.0
63.7
71.7
15.8
6.1
17.2
8.1
14.8
48.2
47.4
29.8
23.8
61.2
39.5
33.4
41.3
55.4
46.6
33.6
6.6
4.5
49.4
50.6
29.8
54.4
23.1
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Northern America
South America
Other Central Am.
Mexico
Caribbean
Africa
Asia
Europe
Native
Less than high school graduate High school and less than four years of college Bachelor's degree or more
Median Household Income by Nativity, Length of Residence, and Citizenship Status: 1998
$25,161
$40,013
$33,514
$24,222
$21,939
$29,754
$42,649
$39,954
$0 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 $35,000 $40,000 $45,000
Not a Citizen
Naturalized
CITIZENSHIP STATUS
11 plus years
6-10 years
5 yr or less
LENGTH OF RESIDENCE
FOREIGN-BORN ONLY:
Foreign-Born
Native
TOTAL
Median Household Income
Median Household Income by Region of Birth: 1998
$60,554
$35,324
$23,690
$24,092
$35,225
$29,653
$44,444
$54,275
$42,649
$0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000
Northern America
South America
Other Central Am.
Mexico
Caribbean
Africa
Asia
Europe
Native
Median Household Income
Residence Five Years Ago for Native and Foreign-Born Inter-County Movers: 1998
Native
Northeast5%
Midwest9%
South19%
West12%
Abroad4%
Different County in
Texas51%
Foreign-Born
Different County in
Texas15%
Northeast4%
Midwest3%
South5%
West7%
Abroad66%
Conclusion
• The American Community Survey also provides information for:
– Distribution of public funding
– Comparing your community with others
– Identifying community problems and solutions
– Location of highways, schools, and hospitals
– Stimulating economic growth
– Evaluating programs such as welfare and workforce diversification
For More Information
• American Community Survey Internet site– Go to the Census Bureau’s website at www.census.gov
– Click on Subjects A-Z• Click on American Community Survey for information
about the survey
• Click on American FactFinder for data tables– Click on Population and Housing Facts
– Click on Detailed Tables
• Email us at [email protected]
• Contact Author– Bonny M. Berkner, Population Division
– 301-457-2454
