The American Community Survey (ACS) is designed to replace the decennial census “long form” (Alexander 2000). It is being promoted as a more accurate, timely, and reliable source of data on the social, economic, and housing characteristics of the United States population and housing stock. When fully implemented, the ACS will sample about 3 million addresses each year, the largest survey during the intercensal years. Results from the ACS will provide current information on the entire population down to census tracts, allowing policy makers, academic researchers, government agencies, private businesses, and the public access to information on the changing condition of the United States in a timely manner.

The ACS is in the testing and development phase. For the years 1999-2001 there were 31 sites included in the ACS. An operational feasibility test was conducted as part of Census 2000. This test - the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey (C2SS) - had a nationally representative sample of about 700,000 addresses and was conducted simultaneously with the 2000 decennial census. The C2SS was designed to be used in combination with the 31 ACS test sites, to produce estimates for the nation, states, and counties and places of 125,000 or greater populations.

It is important to undertake a comparison of the C2SS estimates with the 2000 decennial census data. The data from Census 2000 are seen as the “gold standard,” providing the most accurate “snapshot” of the United States. Further, Census 2000 data and C2SS data both allow for a thorough examination of population characteristics at low levels of geography. Thus, comparing C2SS data on race and Hispanic origin to what was reported in Census 2000 provides a starting point for evaluating the validity of the C2SS estimates, as well as ultimately the estimates produced from the ACS. This type of initial comparison allows a judgment to be made about whether or not the C2SS can provide reliable data for racial and ethnic populations.

This paper compares the C2SS estimates with Census 2000 data at the national level, focusing specifically on race and Hispanic origin distributions. We examine the wording of each of the questions used to collect these data. In the final section, we discuss the observed trends and patterns, and provide possible explanations for differences found when making the above comparisons.