September 12, 08

NEWS / Census Bureau to Release New Data on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

The U.S. Census Bureau will release the 2007 report on income, poverty and health insurance coverage for the nation at a news conference on Aug. 26, 2008, at 10 a.m. (EDT). The data are derived from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). Simultaneously, the Census Bureau will release data on income, earnings and poverty from the 2007 American Community Survey (ACS) for all areas within the United States with a population of 65,000 or greater.

The Census Bureau’s CPS-ASEC produces the official national estimates of poverty, as well as estimates of income and health insurance coverage. In addition to the national-level data, the report provides state-level health insurance estimates. State and local estimates of income and poverty will be available in the 2007 ACS report.

Together the CPS and ACS income and poverty measures surveys cover the range of geographic areas from the nation to counties, cities, congressional districts and metro areas.

Data taking into account the effect of taxes, food stamps and other noncash benefits on income will be released at a later date.

CPS supplementary tables on income, poverty and health insurance coverage will be added to the Census Bureau’s Internet site, , as they become available. Additional guidance for data users will clarify when to use the income and poverty estimates from these two surveys and how the surveys differ.

The ACS is the largest survey in the nation and will produce the same in-depth socioeconomic data as the decennial census long form but on an annual basis. The ACS provides subnational statistics on a variety of topics, such as income, earnings, poverty, educational attainment, housing type, median age and household population.

The ACS data release on Aug. 26 will be limited to income- and poverty-related topics. A second release on Sept. 23 (embargoed on Sept. 18) will include one-year estimates covering a broad range of social, economic, housing and demographic characteristics, including data on educational attainment, commuting to work, foreign born, ancestry, housing tenure and occupancy. Special Population Profiles and Public Use Microdata Sample Files (PUMS) will also be released.

The third and final release of ACS data in December will include three-year estimates which, for the first time, will include all geographic areas with populations of 20,000 or more. The Census Bureau plans to release multiyear estimates for all areas, including census block groups and tracts, in 2010.

The ACS data are provided annually for about 7,000 areas, including all congressional districts and counties, cities and American Indian and Alaska Native areas of 65,000 population or more.

The Aug. 26 news conference will take place at 10 a.m. EDT in the auditorium at Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, Md. Media may also participate via Web conference or telephone “listen-line.” A media advisory providing additional information will be issued the week before the event.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/012462.html