Due to the challenges faced by data collectors during the pandemic, the Census Bureau will not be releasing 2020 ACS data in September as usual.
Each September, the U.S. Census Bureau releases the results of its annual American Community Survey (ACS). But, Mark Mather writes, due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Bureau has decided to forgo the standard data release and instead "release experimental estimates for a limited set of tables and geographic areas" in November.
"There were early warning signs that this was coming. In a presentation at our recent 2021 ACS Data Users Conference, Mark Asiala, an assistant division chief in charge of ACS statistical design, reported that between April and September 2020, the Census Bureau was forced to suspend many of its data collection operations, including in-person visits to homes that didn’t return survey questionnaires. He said the Census Bureau conducted one-third fewer interviews for the 2020 ACS, compared with the 2019 ACS."
The 2020 responses also experienced a significant level of "non-response bias," with respondents having "higher average incomes, education levels, and homeownership rates" on average than those who did not respond.
The lack of data deals a major blow to demographers who hoped to answer some essential questions about what happened to the U.S. population during the pandemic. "For states, metropolitan areas, congressional districts, and many large counties and cities, the 2020 ACS 1-year data could have provided our first comprehensive portrait of how American life changed during the pandemic."
"The good news is that 2021 ACS data should be released next year as planned. Because ACS data collection is ongoing, we will eventually be able to compare population and housing characteristics before, during, and after the pandemic."
FULL STORY: Why the 2020 American Community Survey Is Different and Why It Matters
Detailed 2020 Census Data Coming in 2023
The data release was delayed in part so that the agency could implement a new privacy policy aimed at protecting the identities of respondents.
Busting the 'Urban Exodus' Myth, Again
New numbers from the Census Bureau show that fewer Americans moved in 2020 than ever before, belying dire predictions about the death of cities and the hollowing out of urban neighborhoods.
Debunking the Myth of the Declining White Population
Media claimed that Census data showed a sharp decline in America's white population, but the widely publicized figure reflects a misunderstanding of new data collection techniques.
Red Cities, Blue Cities, and Crime
Homicides rose across the nation in 2020 and 2021. But did they rise equally in all cities, or was the situation worse in some than in others?
The Shifting Boomer Bulge: More Bad News for America’s Housing Crisis?
In the first of a two-part series, PlaceMakers’ Ben Brown interviews housing guru Arthur C. Nelson on the sweeping demographic changes complicating the housing market.
A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts
Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.
New York Garbage ‘Containerization’ Pilot Not Replicable at Scale
The city’s sanitation department says the program, while successful on one block, would be too difficult and expensive to implement citywide.
IPCC Report: The World Is Running Out of Time on Climate Change
The planet is not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a recent report published by the United Nations’ International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Skyline-Defining High-Rise Potentially Coming to Boise
A rendering making the rounds in Boise depicts a 40-story apartment building that would be taller than all other buildings in one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
Cornell University
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
