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American Community Survey Data Tables

There are many types of tables and profiles from the American Community Survey (ACS). Learn more about our data products, including a description of each product, geographic areas covered, and tools containing these products, to help you access the information you need from the ACS.

Need help using data.census.gov or the Application Programming Interface (API)?  Check out How-to Materials for Using data.census.gov and ACS Data via API.

Data Profiles are a good place to start for novice data users, as they contain the most frequently requested social, economic, housing, and demographic data. Each of these four subject areas is a separate profile. The Data Profiles summarize the data for a single geographic area, providing both estimates and percentages, to cover the most basic data on all ACS topics. ACS Data Profiles begin with the letters "DP."

Geographic areas covered: All areas down to the neighborhood (census tract) level.

Tools:

Data Profiles on the ACS website

data.census.gov (1-year Data Profiles, 5-year Data Profiles)

Census API

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Narrative Profiles are short, analytic reports derived from the ACS 5-year estimates. Covering 18 different topic areas, each Narrative Profile provides text and bar charts to display highlights of selected social, economic, housing, and demographic estimates for a selected geographic area.

Geographic areas covered: Nation, states, counties, metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas, places, ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, American Indian Areas/Alaska Native Areas/Hawaiian Home Lands, and neighborhoods (census tracts).

Tool: Narrative Profiles on the ACS website

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Comparison Profiles show ACS data side-by-side from different data releases, indicating where there is a statistically significant difference between estimates.

The 1-year Comparison Profiles show data side-by-side for 5 years, indicating where there is a statistically significant difference between the most current year compared to 4 prior years of data.

The 5-year Comparison Profiles show data side-by-side from two consecutive 5-year periods, indicating where there is a statistically significant difference between two sets of estimates.

ACS Comparison Profiles begin with the letters "CP." 

Geographic areas covered: The 1-year Comparison Profiles provide estimates for populations of 65,000 or more for most available geographic areas. The 5-year Comparison Profiles are available for the nation, states, counties, places, and metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas with populations of 5,000 or more.

Tools:

data.census.gov (1-year Comparison Profile5-year Comparison Profile)

Census API

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Selected Population Profiles (SPPs) provide summary tables separately for hundreds of detailed racial, ethnic, and tribal groups. Beginning with the 2007 ACS, the Selected Population Profiles also include country of birth. Selected Population Profiles are only available for 1-year estimates. ACS Selected Population Profiles are always labeled "S0201."

Geographic Areas Covered: There are two thresholds used for SPPs. First, the SPPs are released for geographic areas with a total population of at least 500,000. (Prior to the 2007 ACS, SPPs were produced for geographic areas with a total population of at least 1 million).

Second, we look at the size of the population group of interest. The SPPs are released for population groups with an estimated population of 65,000 or more.

Tools:

data.census.gov (1-year Selected Population Profiles)

Census API

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Detailed Tables are designed for advanced data users or those who want access to the most comprehensive ACS tables. Detailed Tables are also available through the ACS Summary File and Census Bureau Application Programming Interface.

ACS Detailed Tables begin with the letters "B" for base tables and "C" for collapsed tables. The "collapsed" tables cover the same topics as the base table, but with fewer categories.

Geographic Areas Covered: All areas down to the block group level.

Tools: 

data.census.gov (1-year Detailed Tables, 5-year Detailed Tables)

Summary File

Census API

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Subject Tables provide pretabulated estimates and percentages for a wide variety of topics (e.g., employment, education, and income), often available separately by age, sex, or race/ethnicity. ACS Subject Tables begin with the letter "S."

Geographic Areas Covered: All areas down to the neighborhood (census tract) level.

Tools: 

Subject Tables on ACS website

data.census.gov (1-year Subject Tables, 5-year Subject Tables)

Census API

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Ranking Tables provide state-level rankings on approximately 90 key ACS variables. ACS Ranking Tables begin with the letter "R."

Geographic Areas Covered: Nation, states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Tool: Ranking Tables on the ACS website

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Geographic Comparison Tables allow users to compare ACS data across geographic areas in the same table (e.g., all counties in a state). ACS Geographic Comparison Tables begin with the letters "GCT."

Geographic Areas Covered: States, metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas, cities, counties, congressional districts, and several other geographic areas.

Tool: Geographic Comparison Tables on the ACS website

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Table name Description
Commuting Flows Commuting flows are created from tabulations of workers' residence crossed by workers' place of work. Flows are tabulated at the county and minor civil division/county levels using ACS 5-year estimates.
Migration Flows (State-to-State)      

 

Migration flows are created from tabulations of the current residence crossed by residence 1 year ago. Flows are tabulated at the county, metro, and state levels (or state equivalents) using ACS 1-year estimates.
Migration Flows (Metro-to-Metro)

 

Migration Flows (County-to-County)                  

 

State of Residence by Place of Birth Flows These tables show the State of Residence by Place of Birth flows from the ACS 1-year estimates.
TIGER/Line with Selected Demographic and Economic Data These geodatabases bring together geography from the most recent TIGER/Line Shapefiles and data from ACS 5-year estimates.
EEO Tabulation The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulation is a custom tabulation produced using ACS 5-year estimates.
Same-Sex Couples Data Tables These tables display characteristics of same-sex couple households using ACS 1-year estimates.
Race/Ethnicity and American Indian & Alaska Native Data These tables provide an in-depth look at detailed population groups beyond those covered in the annual ACS 1-year and 5-year products.
Employment and Labor Force Characteristics for Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Married Householders and their Spouses
This table package presents employment and labor force estimates for same-sex and opposite-sex married householders and their spouses.

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Page Last Revised - March 13, 2024
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