The 2014 Planning Database contains selected 2010 Census and selected 2008-2012 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates. Data are provided at both the census block group and the tract levels of geography. The Planning Database (PDB) assembles a range of housing, demographic, socioeconomic, and census operational data that can be used for survey and census planning. In addition to variables extracted from the census and ACS databases, operational variables include the 2010 Census Mail Return Rate for each block group and tract.

The 2014 PDB includes percentage calculations based on the counts. In addition, a new Low Response Score (LRS) is provided that is similar in purpose to the Hard-to-Count scores issued after past censuses. This score identifies block groups and tracts whose characteristics predict low census mail return rate and are highly correlated (negatively) with census and survey participation. A discussion of the LRS methodology can be found below.

The Governments Statistics Section (GSS) of the American Statistical Association (ASA) sponsored their first data challenge in 2015 featuring the Census Bureau's 2014 Planning Database. The challenge was to analyze the U.S. Census Bureau’s tract and block planning databases using any statistical and/or visualization tools and methods. Eight participants accepted the challenge. Two sessions based on the challenge were organized at the 2015 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM).

• Oral Presentations
  • Professional Category Winner - Darryl Creel, RTI, "Tailoring Outreach to Boost Mail Self-Response in Geographic Areas with Similar Low Response Rates"
  • Robert Baskin, "Exploring the Census Bureau's 2014 Planning Database Using Topological Data Analysis"
  • Jonathan Auerbach and Christopher Eshleman, New York City Council, "Informing Natural Disaster Response with Census Data"
  • Shin-Jung Lee, University of Michigan, "Optimizing Survey Cost-Error Tradeoffs: A Multiple Imputation Strategy Using the Census Planning Database"
• Poster Presentations
  • Student Category Winner - Lucy D'Agostino McGowan and Alice Toll, Vanderbilt University, "Census Tract-Level Disparities: Examining Food Swamps and Food Deserts"
  • Bingchen Liu and Lynne Stokes, "Who are the Non-Voters?"
  • Talha Ali and Owais Gilani, "Exploring the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem"
  • Guillermo Basulto-Elias and Natalia A Da Silva, "Determinants of Poverty in US"