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Topics
Data & Maps
Surveys & Programs
Resource Library
What the Business Community Needs to Know
What the Business Community Needs to Know
The ACS is important to business for the same reasons that census long-form data have been important. The census collects information for federal program purposes, but businesses have been creative in finding prolific uses for census data—especially data from the long form. Census data have become a foundation for the research, planning, and evaluation work of many businesses.
Business uses of demographic and socioeconomic data fall into two major categories—market/site evaluation and consumer segmentation. These applications often require data for very small areas, and the census has been the most authoritative source of small area data available. And while many businesses now use sophisticated and proprietary site and segmentation products provided by private firms, these products are built largely on a statistical and geographic foundation provided by the census. The Decennial Census Program, now including the American Community Survey, remains a critical resource to the companies that build site and segmentation tools and to the companies that use them.
Others in Series
Publication
What Researchers Need to Know
This handbook helps researchers learn more about estimates for geographic areas, how to access data products, sampling error, residence rules, and more.
Publication
What the Media Needs to Know
This handbook helps the media learn how to search ACS data for statistics and trends with examples of how to use the ACS to uncover and enhance stories.
Publication
What Users of Data for Amer. Indians and Alaska Natives Need to Know
This handbook helps users of data for AIAN populations find current information about reservations, identify characteristics of the population, and more.
Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
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