The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey that provides data every year -- giving communities the current information they need to plan investments and services. Information from the survey generates data that help determine how more than $400 billion in federal and state funds are distributed each year. The ACS provides:
Estimates of demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics every year, not just every ten years
Estimates for all states, counties, townships, incorporated places, tribal areas, census tracts, and census block groups
Frequency of Data Releases
The Census Bureau produces annual estimates for large geographic areas and multi-year averages for small geographic areas every year
For states and for governmental units with populations of 65,000 or more, the ACS will provide direct estimates for each year.
For governmental units with populations less than 65,000 and for census tracts and census block groups, the ACS will provide data as 5-year time period every year
Multi-year estimates of characteristics will be updated each year for every governmental unit and for census tracts and block groups.
