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ACS Summary File Sequence-Based Format

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ACS Summary File Sequence-Based Format (2005-2021)

Using the American Community Survey Summary File: What Data Users Need to Know
Download Using the American Community Survey Summary File: What Data Users Need to Know [PDF - 6.5 MB]

The American Community Survey (ACS) Summary File Sequence-Based Format is a set of comma-delimited text files that contain all of the Detailed Tables for the ACS data releases. Summary File data in the sequence-based format are only available for data years 2005-2021. The sequence-based format is divided into three file types: estimates, margin of error, and geography files for each release.

In the sequence-based format, Detailed Tables are stored in a series of files with only the data from the tables and without such information as the table title, description of the rows, or geographic identifiers. That information is located in other files that the user must merge with the data files to reproduce complete tables.

The handbook, Using the ACS Summary File: What Data Users Need to Know, provides an overview and more about working with the sequence-based format. Data, instructions, guides, and example SAS programs are provided below for each year.

2009
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
2009

2009 ACS 1-year Estimates

1-Year Summary File (Sequence-Based)

2007-2009 ACS 3-Year Estimates

3-Year Summary File (Sequence-Based)

2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates

5-Year Summary File (Sequence-Based)

Find 2018-Present Table-Based Format.

Templates

Includes description of variables in each column for all sequence files.

zip 1-year Templates [2.0M]
zip 3-year Templates [1.7M]
zip 5-year Templates [1.3M]

Technical Documents

The technical documents contain information about how to use the ACS Summary File

pdf 1-Year Tech Doc [<1.0 MB]
pdf 3-Year Tech Doc [3.4 MB]
pdf 5-Year Tech Doc [2.2 MB]

New this year - 5-year Summary File

  • Includes first-ever block group data from the ACS (only available on the Summary File).
  • Includes all of the Detailed Tables published on the Census Bureau’s American FactFinder.
  • Includes an additional 295 Detailed Tables [XLS - <1.0 MB] not available on American FactFinder.

Summary File User Tools

Simplified Geography Files

Contains basic geography information, including LOGRECNO, GEOID, and name, in an Excel file with tabs for the US, as well as each state or state equivalent.  Compared to the standard geography files in .csv and .txt format, these simplified files contain only the geography variables needed to read the ACS Summary File into Excel.

xls 1-year Simplified Geography Files [1.1 MB]
xls 3-year Simplified Geography Files [2.1 MB]
xls 5-year Simplified Geography Files [23.2 MB]
User Tools Folder
Other tools, such as SAS programs and Excel templates, are available on the FTP site.
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This new platform on data.census.gov is based on overwhelming feedback to streamline the way you get data and digital content from Census Bureau.

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Page Last Revised - September 7, 2022
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