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Using Subcounty Population Estimates as Controls in Weighting for the American Community Survey

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The American Community Survey (ACS) uses independent housing unit and population estimates, produced by the Census Bureau?s Population Estimates Program (PEP), as controls. These controls are applied to county based weighting areas. The PEP also publishes estimates of totals for subcounty areas, which are incorporated places and minor civil divisions. The ACS estimates for totals in these subcounty areas are normally different from the PEP estimates, and in a few cases substantially different. These differences are disconcerting to many data users. In this paper we evaluate efforts to incorporate the PEP estimates for subcounty areas into the ACS weighting process. The main goal is to make ACS estimates of total housing units and population for subcounty areas closer to the PEP estimates, with minimal effect on distributions of housing and population characteristics.

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
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